He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
by REIDFANATIC
Summary: Sequel to My Brother's Keeper.  Evan Reid comes to live in DC. and Spencer and Evan deal with issues facing each of them with some murder mysteries putting them both in danger.  Spoilers for: Fisher King, Sex, Birth, Death and Revelations.  ReidOC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds; I have just borrowed their characters.**

**My title, of course, is taken from the 1970 song composed by B. Scott and B. Russell**

**Thanks, as always, to mablereid for allowing me to bounce ideas off her.**

Morgan and Reid lugged the last of the boxes into the modest bungalow on Lakeview Lane in Washington DC. The fairly spacious brick house featured a large welcoming front porch supported by four brick columns while the white metal railing gave it an airy feel. There were many windows which flooded the home with sunlight. The living room was dominated on one side by a beautiful stone fireplace and on the other side by a bookcase colonnade. There were three bedrooms, two of which were being used for that purpose and a third to be used for an office. This was the new home of Janice and Evan Reid.

"There, that about does it," Morgan said setting the last box down in the brightly painted space that was to be Evan's room. The boy, grinning from ear to ear, high fived Morgan, excited to be starting fresh in a new city, going to a new school and meeting new friends who knew nothing about his recent battle with leukemia but most of all he was excited to now be living close to his brother, Spencer.

Janice was smiling as well when Reid put the last of the boxes marked kitchen on the gleaming granite countertop of the recently renovated room. The floor and new appliances shone. She too was excited about her new life. Since her divorce from Spencer and Evan's father, she had longed to leave Philadelphia and her old life behind her. She had not worked in her profession as a librarian since Evan was born so she was dumbfounded when she was actually hired to one of the many librarian positions at the Library of Congress.

As a history major in university while obtaining her library sciences degree, working at the Library of Congress was a dream come true. She was awestruck just setting foot in those three buildings so steeped in history, literature, art, science, religion and politics. Janice had been amazed by the brilliant stained glass ceilings, the sculptures, the splendor of the reading rooms and the engraved inscriptions from some of the world's most famous authors. The magnificence of the grand inner hall left her breathless. Everywhere she turned, she was astounded by the vastness of the book collections, the endless opportunities for learning and all that that encompassed.

Janice looked at her former stepson as he helped unpack the boxes and put the most unused items on high shelves for her. It amazed her to look at him sometimes. When they were discussing a serious topic or he had some point he was trying to make he could look so much like William it almost scared her. At other times, when he was doing something carefree with Evan, playing a game or Evan was teaching him some childish thing that he had never had the fortune to learn as a child himself, since his childhood was cut so short when William deserted him and his mother, his eyes would fill with such joyful innocence that he looked so much like a little kid you sometimes wondered who was older, him or Evan. She was so pleased that he had taken such an interest in Evan. He was nothing like William's description of him. The 'freak' turned out to be a kind and gentle man whose heart could match his expansive brain in all that it was able to hold. She was delighted that they had become friends. She had also found someone whose love of books rivaled her own and they had had many discussions on various books and authors. She found there was no subject on which he did not have some knowledge or opinion.

As well as her new job, Janice was looking forward to meeting new people. Evan's illness had taken much of her time and she had lost touch with many of her friends and had not been able to participate in the activities she had enjoyed before her son's battle with the dreaded disease. Although she was new to the city, she already felt she had some friends in the area. Spencer's team had been wonderful to her. Aaron Hotchner, true to his word, had found her a very effective divorce attorney and when Janice had broached the subject of a move to Washington to Spencer, she had soon received a call from Haley Hotchner asking if there was anything she could do to help Janice in this endeavor. Janice was concerned that it would not be easy to get a job as she had been out of the workforce for so long; hence she was totally amazed when she was offered the position at the Library of Congress. Even though Janice knew she was an excellent librarian, she felt such a position was out of reach and she now strongly suspected that someone on Spencer's team had had a hand in her getting this job. Nothing had ever been said but Janice somehow felt a request had been made or a favor called in. Whatever the case, she was grateful. She had no illusions that it was done for her benefit. These people loved Spencer and if having his brother in Washington would make him happy, they would do all they could to make it happen.

The Hotchners were not the only ones to provide assistance. Everyone in Spencer's 'other family' wanted to do everything they could to make sure things went as smoothly as possible for Janice and Evan. Penelope Garcia had used her computer skills to look into housing and schools. JJ and Emily had toured many of the houses weeding out the bad ones and saving Janice a lot of time when she made the trip out to look for housing. The women also helped with shopping for the things she needed for the new home. They had all become quite good friends. Morgan and Gideon had driven her around to take care of the errands involved with the purchase of the house and getting the move in place. One evening they had had a painting party as the wall colors were not exactly what Janice had wanted. The team plus Haley, little Jack and Spencer's friend Allie had all landed at the house and the rooms were painted in no time. When they were done, Reid insisted that they send out for pizza earning a wink and a high five from Evan.

Janice had been concerned about Evan after the divorce. She did not want her ex-husband around her son but she worried about Evan not having a male influence in his life. She saw now she had no cause for concern. Evan had four wonderful role models in the members of the BAU. They all took an interest in him. Gideon was almost like a second father, Hotch, a very close and concerned uncle and Morgan was like another big brother. But most of all it was Spencer who was always there for Evan, for both of them actually. He had become a huge part of their lives. He was always doing something with Evan whenever he had spare time or a day off. Even before the move to Washington, he had often driven up to Philly to see them and help them get their lives back on track.

Reid had just placed a punch bowl and cups on a top shelf of a cupboard when the pair heard two thuds, a groan and the sound of breaking glass. They went running down the hall toward Evan's room to find a broken lamp from the bedside table and Evan and Morgan facedown on the floor!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing**

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"Oh my God, Evan," Janice yelled running over to her son lying on the floor. She could see his breathing was coming in hitches and she was concerned. She glanced over at Morgan and he looked the same. What in heaven's name had happened? When she got up to her son, she could see that he was not injured in any way and his breathing was affected because he was laughing uncontrollably.

"Evan Reid, talk to me, what happened in here?" She shook the boy as she spoke sternly to him. Morgan had gotten to his knees but Evan was still laughing on the floor. Janice turned to the other profiler, "What happened here Morgan?"

Finally Evan appeared to regain his composure, "It's okay Mom, Morgan has been teaching me some hand to hand combat and I was trying to take him down with a leg sweep and I guess we got a little carried away. I'm sorry the lamp got broken."

"Hand to hand combat, Morgan he's thirteen years old, look how much smaller he is than you and he's been sick for God's sake, he could get hurt. I thought you would have more sense than to do something like that." Janice shrieked at Morgan as the man got to his feet.

"Mom I'm fine. Morgan never hurts me, really."

"Janice," Reid spoke from the doorway, "It's really okay. Morgan and I do it in the gym at Quantico all the time and nobody gets hurt. It's not a matter of who's bigger or stronger, in fact the larger person is often the one at the disadvantage in this kind of hand to hand because size doesn't matter and the goal is to get the opponent off balance and once you do that you can use his size against him."

"Hey mama, you don't think I'd put my little bro here in any danger do you?" Morgan messed the boy's unruly mop of brown hair that had come back so well after all the chemotherapy and radiation he'd endured. "I'm trying to make sure he can protect himself if he ever comes across a situation where he needs to."

"I know Morgan; I just worry sometimes, especially after what happened with William. I still remember all those bruises."

"That's my point, Janice. If William tried to do that to Evan today, he'd be lying on this floor wondering what happened to him."

Evan gave a groan and pulled up his tee shirt, "Look ma, no bruises. I'm not a baby anymore you know."

"Oh, I give up; I'm going back to the kitchen to get things put away." She looked at the three of them, shook her head and said, "You kids play nice." She left the room continuing to shake her head.

"Are you guys nuts," Reid whispered when Janice had left the room. "Doing that here in the house when Janice is home is not the brightest idea," he continued through gritted teeth.

"Okay, okay, I know man, not my finest moment," Morgan admitted. Evan was finding the whole situation very amusing as he was laughing again and covering his mouth with his hand to prevent his mother from hearing.

Reid crouched down and started picking up the colorful pieces of glass from the broken Tiffany style lamp, continuing to whisper as he spoke, "You know we're going to have to replace this lamp don't you Morgan."

"I know, I know, okay let's take Evan and go to that home décor place and he can pick it out since it's for his room anyway," Morgan found he was whispering as well. "Then after we get the lamp we can go out for pizza."

"Well that's a fine idea Morgan, if Janice will let him out of her sight in our company ever again."

"Oh, she'll let me go. Leave it to me, I know what works." Evan started out of the room to go find his mother.

"Hey kid," Morgan called after him quietly. Evan turned at the sound of Morgan's voice. "What works?"

Evan gave a big smile and said, "Guilt."

After Evan had left the room to guilt his mother into letting him go out with Morgan and Reid, Morgan said laughingly, "Sounds like the kid's into using psychology, maybe he'll end up being a profiler like his big brother."

Reid continued to pick up the glass from the floor and said nonchalantly, "Maybe he'll end up being Rambo like his other big brother."

"Very funny," Morgan said as he started to help pick up the glass. Reid went in search of the vacuum cleaner which wasn't easy considering he had to find which box in which room it was in. But he wanted to make sure they had all the glass and Evan wouldn't cut himself walking barefoot in his bedroom.

Evan was still trying to convince his mom that going out with Reid and Morgan to get a new lamp was a good idea so the pair set about arranging the furniture in Evan's room, setting up the TV, the DVD, the stereo system and the Playstation. When they were done they seemed satisfied that the room was ready to be inhabited by a thirteen year old boy.

Evan came back at that moment saying, "Okay you g…Oh, wow, you got everything all set up. Does it ever look good. Mom says I can go on one condition."

"What's that," Reid asked.

"There is to be no funny business and I have to be back by 9:30."

"That's two conditions." Reid replied.

"Reid, work with us here," Morgan retorted and Reid nodded. "No funny business, what fun is there in that?"

"Why don't we do it this way," Evan said, this time he was the one whispering. The other two bent in and listened like they were planning the great escape. "We can have fun as long as we don't tell Mom. It'll kind of be like Spencer won't tell me about his work; it'll be something she just doesn't need to know."

Morgan looked at Reid and pointed his thumb toward Evan, "How old did you say this kid was?"

"I know," Reid responded, "Let's go before Janice changes her mind!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds**

The home décor store at the nearby mall was bustling with shoppers as Spencer, Evan and Morgan entered the store. Morgan started down an aisle looking for the lighting section with Evan following close behind until Reid said, "Lighting is in aisle forty-two at the other end of the store Morgan."

Morgan looked at Reid, knowing he shouldn't ask but couldn't help himself, "How do you know that? Come here often do you?"

"No Morgan," Reid said seriously, "I've never been here before."

"Then how did you know lighting was in aisle forty-two?" Morgan asked, in frustration.

"There's a floor plan map as you come in the door and I glanced at it. Aisles one to three are flooring, aisle four, bathroom fixtures, aisle five, sinks, aisle six…"

Morgan looked at Evan and together they said, "Aisle forty-two," and headed for the other end of the store.

"Wow," Evan said, "I had no idea there were so many different kinds of lamps."

Morgan had to admit that he too was bowled over by the selection and he began to think this was not going to be as easy as he first thought.

They heard a bang and turned to see Reid catching a lamp just before it hit the floor. "Reid, geez man, you're like a bull in a china shop."

"Well Morgan, technically a bull…"

"Reid!" Morgan said.

"Spencer!" Evan said at the same time.

"What!"

"Okay," Morgan turned to Evan, "See anything you like, my man."

"Morgan, I think you have to consider more than, do you see anything you like." Reid stated. "I mean, you have to consider the kind of light you get for say, reading in bed. Do you want regular bulbs, fluorescent or halogen? Then there's energy consumption, that sort of thing. Now this lamp," he pointed to one that had a stand that consisted of a black metal pole with tripod legs and a white shade, "Has differing wattages so it would be ideal for reading and then when you want less light you can turn to a lower wattage."

Morgan and Evan stared at Reid for a few moments until Morgan said, "Okay, moving along…"

Evan looked through the various lamps until his eyes spied one that sparked him to say, "Oh, wow that is so awesome!" The lamp was a jet plane and the way the light shone from the stand the jet appeared to be in speedy flight.

Morgan was impressed as well. "You are right little man, that lamp is totally awesome."

Reid looked at the lamp stating, "Two sixty watt bulbs so that would provide one hundred twenty watts of light which is plenty for reading in bed or doing homework."

"That's the one I want," Evan decided and Morgan took it down from the shelf and almost choked when he looked at the price but took it and headed to the checkout. On the way to the checkout, they passed some wall art and Evan became entranced by a huge colorful poster of the solar system.

"Oh that is really neat," he said to Morgan pointing out the different planets starting at Mercury and ending with Pluto.

"Technically," Reid reminded them "Pluto is not longer…" Morgan and Evan glared at him. "Right," he said, "Should we take that to the checkout as well?"

After paying for their purchases the trio headed for Morgan's car to go find a suitable pizza joint. Morgan's car radio was tuned to an oldies station and the familiar beginning chords of a Bob Seger hit came through the speakers. "Turn that up Morgan, this is a good song; Mom plays it all the time." Morgan turned up the volume and soon he and Evan were singing and gyrating, as much as they could in their seats, to That Old Time Rock and Roll.

Stopping at a red light, they caught the interest of other drivers who noticed the two getting into the music in a big way. Reid slinked down in his seat next to Morgan, trying not to be noticed. Evan laughed at his brother. "Spencer, you really gotta get out more!"

"I get out," Reid replied.

"Not much," Morgan interjected.

"Yeah, I don't know how Allie puts up with you. What do you guys do for fun anyway?" Evan was trying to lean forward to talk to his brother, as much as his seatbelt would allow.

Reid's face went bright red and he was relieved it was fairly dark in the car as he squeaked, "We do lots."

"Like what," Evan persisted.

"We go to the movies or concerts, sometimes out to dinner."

"Sometimes they have fun when they don't go out at all," Morgan piped up.

"Shut up Morgan."

Arriving at the pizza joint, they settled on a selection without too much dissent between the three of them and when it arrived they each dug in eagerly. "I'm glad Mom let me come out. She doesn't let me have pizza that often even though she knows it's my favorite."

"I don't know why she would do that Evan. Pizza is one food that covers all the food groups; you've got your meat your starch in the crust, your dairy with the cheese and vegetables with the mushrooms, onions and peppers." Reid postulated in between bites, while chewing vigorously.

"Man," Morgan groaned, "Can you not have a pizza without taking into account its nutritional value? Could you shut the brain down for five minutes?"

"Sorry, I was just giving Evan a good argument that he could present to Janice for having pizza. You know how mothers are."

"You know Spencer, that is a pretty good idea and I'll try it out and see if she falls for it." The boy was nodding at his brother.

At that moment Reid's and Morgan's cells went off almost simultaneously. "You know what that means," Morgan said as he looked at the call display, "Hotch."

Reid looked at his and nodded, "JJ."

They both took their calls then looked at Evan, "Well, my man," Morgan stated, "It looks like the party's over."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Thanks again to mablereid and all those who read and reviewed

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The team had just finished another case in Dallas. The unsub was a homeless man who was frequently in and out of the county hospital's psychiatric ward. He would go in to be treated for a bipolar disorder because he was threatening the people on the street he called home and as soon as they had him properly medicated, he would function 'normally,' in the eyes of the medical establishment, and would be released back into the community, where he would immediately refuse to take his medication and the previous behavior would recur. This vicious circle had continued as long as many residents of the street could remember. Except this last time, instead of just threatening, his behavior became much more dangerous and four citizens had lost their lives before the BAU was called in and through their profile it was revealed that this homeless man felt the people who lived on the street were a danger to what he considered his home, since they would call the authorities on a regular basis and have him removed. No one had suspected that it was him because he had never been violent in the past. The team was now looking forward to heading home.

Reid took out his cell and dialed Evan's number. He hadn't heard from his brother in a couple of days. He usually spoke to him every other day or so. Of course, their case in Dallas had kept them busy but if he'd called, he'd generally leave a message. "Hello," Reid heard his brother's voice through his cell.

"Hi bud, how you doing, I haven't heard from you in a couple of days?"

"I'm good," the thirteen year old replied, "How's your case going?" Evan's voice was quiet and Reid could hear none of the boy's usual gregariousness.

"Good, we caught the unsub and we're heading home in a couple of hours."

"That's good; I guess I'll see you when you get back. Bye." Reid found he was listening to dead air.

"Bye," he said to no one listening. He looked at the phone in his hand, his brow furrowing, and the confusion evident on his face. What was that about?

On the plane back to Quantico, Gideon could see the concern etched on Reid's face. "What's troubling you?"

"Oh," Reid shook himself, realizing his mind had been elsewhere, "Sorry, I had the strangest call with Evan a little while ago. He was so quiet, not his normal self and he hardly talked to me at all. You know what he's like, a regular chatterbox most of the time. It makes me wonder if something's wrong."

"Well, you can't do anything about it now so you might as well relax until you know what you're dealing with," Gideon counseled quietly.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." He sat quietly for a few moments. "How about a game of chess?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

The two men played their game in companionable silence for the rest of the journey home. Gideon, as expected, was the victor. One of these days, Reid vowed, it had to be his turn.

When he reached his apartment a few hours later and shuffled through his mail he found a few bills, a response from a science magazine offering to publish an article he'd written on quantum physics a few months back and of course a credit card company wanting him to sign up at a great rate. He checked his answering machine, his dentist's office was reminding him it was time for a checkup and to have his teeth cleaned again, the cleaners wondering if he was ever coming to pick up the garments he'd left there over a week ago and an insurance salesman who was positive he would be interested in a double indemnity policy. There was nothing from Evan.

He called Evan again but this time he called their home phone and Janice answered, "Hello."

"Hi Janice, how's it going?"

"Oh hi, well you know, busy as usual. Lots of work at the library, we're cataloguing what seems like a ton of new books that just came in. I'm just making a quick dinner. I've got my bridge group tonight. How did it go in Dallas?"

Janice was loving her new job and certainly getting out a lot more now; she was in a bridge club, taking quilting and yoga classes and participated in a book club with Haley Hotchner. To say Janice Reid was enjoying her new life without his and Evan's father was an understatement.

"Dallas went okay, another unsub out of circulation. How's Evan?"

"He's good; he's in his room doing his homework."

"He's not usually so eager to do that is he, especially on a Friday night?"

"No, he's not, so I'm looking on it as a good sign. Maybe you're rubbing off on him."

"Oh please Janice," Reid's voice was emphatic, "You don't want him turning into a misfit like me."

"Well, I don't know about that, for a misfit you seem to have done pretty well for yourself."

"Thanks, you're sure Evan's okay; he seemed really quiet when I talked to him on the phone earlier today."

Janice sounded exasperated, "Spencer, you're worse than a mother hen with that boy. He's a teenager; they don't like to tell adults everything. Look I've got to go and get dinner finished or I'll be late for bridge, talk to you soon. Bye."

For the second time that day Reid was talking to dead air. He looked at the phone saying, "Well he ordinarily tells me everything." He closed up the phone and thought to himself, he had the weekend off and was definitely going to get to the bottom of this.

Evan sat cross-legged on his bed, clad in blue jeans and his brother Spencer's university tee shirt, his schoolbooks spread out around him and his laptop in front of him. But the boy wasn't looking at either the laptop or the textbooks and his mind was definitely not on his school work. He was staring straight ahead. His head was spinning. How was he going to tell his mom, he thought? How was he going to tell Spencer? Why was this happening to him, his thoughts raged, hadn't he been through enough?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds but I sure wish I did!

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Reid arrived at Janice and Evan's home the next morning. The sun was shining brightly as he approached the front porch. The flowers that Janice had planted at the front of the porch were all in bloom while the leafy bushes by the bay window waved in the soft breeze making the front of the quaint brick bungalow even more inviting. There was a science fiction exhibit in town this weekend and Reid was taking Evan. The boy had been very excited when Reid had mentioned it as he too was a fan of the genre.

Reid rang the bell hoping that Evan would be his old self this morning and that what he'd thought yesterday had been a misinterpretation or a figment of an overactive imagination. Janice answered the bell and ushered Reid into the living room yelling to tell Evan that his brother was here to get him.

When Evan came into the room, Spencer was sure something was wrong. Evan was smiling broadly, almost too broadly and his smile did not reach his eyes. It was the kind of smile that one pasted on one's face to prevent others from seeing anything was amiss. The boy started talking a mile a minute, hardly stopping to breathe. "Hi Spencer, boy it's sure nice out today. I can hardly wait to go see the exhibit. I don't know which I'm more interested in Star Wars or Star Trek but it will sure be interesting to see. Did you have a good flight back from Dallas? Did you see Allie yet? We better get going if we want to miss the lineups. I guess we'll see you later Mom." He waved and grabbed his jacket, running out the door to Reid's vehicle.

"Well," Janice said, "He's certainly excited to see the exhibit. Have a good time," she waved Spencer out the door. Standing on the porch Reid wondered if Janice was again in denial or if she really couldn't see that something was bothering her son. He slowly descended the front steps and strolled down the walk to his SUV where Evan was waiting in the passenger seat already buckled up. Reid noticed a strained expression on the boy's face but the moment he saw Reid, he once again smiled broadly.

"So what's new, anything exciting going on at school," Reid asked in an attempt to start some kind of meaningful dialogue with his brother.

"Nah, the same old stuff, lots of homework. Those teachers never let up with the homework and I can't finish it in five minutes like you."

"How's it going with that group you joined?" Evan had joined a wilderness group at school called the Explorers. They did nature hikes and studied the outdoors, wildlife and birds. He and Gideon had had some long discussions about birds. "Has Gideon said any more about taking you to the Smithsonian to see the bird exhibits?"

"No, I haven't really talked to Gideon in a few days," Evan answered and then became quiet again.

Reid continued to try with topic after topic to elicit some kind of response from Evan but although the boy would answer his questions he was offering no information and initiating no conversation on his own, a polar opposite to his usual talkativeness.

They arrived at the exhibit and Evan looked suitably excited by the things he saw but Reid could tell it was an act. He would exclaim gleefully at everything he saw, but hardly investigated anything. When they came upon a huge model of the starship Enterprise that had kids practically crawling all over it, he seemed awestruck but made no attempt to get close to it as other children did.

At lunch time, Reid suggested they get some pizza. He had noticed a pizzeria close by when they had arrived. They entered and found a booth near the back and Reid asked Evan what kind of pizza he wanted. "Oh, it doesn't matter, anything's fine."

"Anything's fine, you're the world's biggest pizza lover, you never say anything's fine." Reid was really concerned; something had to be very wrong for Evan to not care about pizza. "Evan, what's the matter? I can see that something is bothering you."

"No, there's nothing wrong Spencer," the boy, smiled a huge smile and said, "I think the bacon with extra cheese sounds good don't you?"

Reid placed the order and tried again while they waited for the pizza to come. "Evan, I can tell you're not your usual self and don't try that fake smile on me, it's not working. I'm a profiler, remember, an expert in body language and yours is telling me that something heavy is on your mind. Why don't you tell me what it is, maybe I can help."

"Nothing's wrong Spencer, really. Why won't you believe me?"

"Okay," Reid said sternly, "Do you want me to list the reasons I don't believe you? Okay here goes, first, yesterday I call and the kid who I can never get to shut up says five words to me then hangs up. Second, I call last night and Janice tells me you're in your room doing homework, on a Friday night! I don't think so; maybe Sunday evening when it's close to bedtime but not Friday night. Third, you come out this morning with that fake smile plastered on your face, you answer my questions in words of one syllable or less, you display hardly any interest in the science fiction exhibit when normally you'd have been crawling all over that model of the Enterprise. And now you, the world's greatest pizza lover, don't seem to care what kind of pizza we have, if we have any at all. How am I doing so far? And you have the nerve to tell me nothing is bothering you. Evan, talk to me, please."

"There's nothing to say Spencer, everything's fine."

Reid's patience was wearing thin. He couldn't understand his little brother's reluctance to talk to him; the boy usually could not wait to tell Reid everything about his life in great detail; what could have happened to change him like this. "All right, is it me, have I done something that makes you not want to talk to me or confide in me anymore and if that's the case, it's okay. I don't know what I did but if you're not comfortable with me what about Gideon or Morgan, maybe you could talk to one of them or a councilor at school."

Evan looked crestfallen, "Oh no, it's nothing to do with you Spencer, you're the best. Please don't think I'm mad at you." It was the first real emotion Reid thought he had seen from the boy all day.

Reid paused for a minute considering what to say next. "If it's not me, then why won't you tell me what's going on with you?"

Evan got an anguished look on his face and tears started to form in his eyes and he said, "Because maybe if I don't say it then it might not be true."

"What might not be true Evan," Reid encouraged, touching his brother's hand.

"That… that….that the cancer's back" And with that, he jumped up from the booth and ran quickly out of the pizzeria.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Criminal Minds

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Reid was stunned for a moment by what he had just heard. Did Evan say the leukemia was back? Oh God no, it couldn't be. He jolted up, left some money on the table and ran to find Evan. He found the boy standing beside his SUV.

Evan's head was down and Reid could see that he was crying. Reid put his arm around the boy and hugged him close. "Come on," he said, "Let's get out of here." The pair piled into the vehicle and Reid drove in silence to his apartment.

When they got inside, Evan went to sit on the couch and Reid came to sit in front of him on the coffee table. "Now, tell me what makes you think that the cancer is back. Do you feel the way you felt before with the leukemia?"

Evan shook his head while still keeping it down. Reid continued, "So you don't feel the same way you did before, then why do you think that the cancer is back?"

"It probably feels different because it's in a different place. I read that that happens with cancer. It goes from one place to another meta…something."

"Yes, that's true, that does happen with cancer, it's called metastases. Why do you think you have metastases?"

The boy hung his head and said barely above a whisper, "Because I have stuff coming out of me."

"Stuff, Evan, what kind of stuff?"

"I don't know, just stuff."

"Okay, where is this stuff coming from, do you have some kind of sore that's not healing or something, that's maybe infected."

"No, Spencer, it's not like that, I don't have any sores, it's coming from down there and I don't wet the bed, I haven't wet the bed in ten years and I heard that people get cancer down there."

"Evan, this is very important, does this happen at night when you're asleep?"

The boy looked up at Reid, startled and nodded, "How did you know that?"

Reid smirked slightly, "So, any nice girls at your school or do you not like girls yet?"

"There're some nice girls and I really don't mind girls. Well some are, you know, not so great, but some are really nice. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Uh, huh. Any one that's particularly nice?"

Evan hung his head again and said, "Yeah, there's one that's really nice and really pretty. She kinda looks like JJ."

"This blond beauty have a name?"

Evan's eyes lit up and he breathlessly whispered, "Bethany."

"Bethany," Reid repeated, "So do you think about Bethany, say when you're in your room at night?"

"Well, yeah, sometimes I do when I go to bed at night. How did you know that?"

Reid closed his eyes and relief washed over his face, "I know because it happened to me and it happens to most boys your age. You don't have cancer. You're just growing up."

"Really Spencer, are you sure?" Reid nodded and the biggest smile came to Evan's face, a genuine one this time.

Reid explained to Evan the things that were going on with his body. Evan was wide eyed, impressed with his brother's knowledge. "Where did you learn all that?"

"When it was happening to me, I was in university and I didn't have an adult male around me to explain things so I read a lot on the subject. Didn't Dad ever talk to you about this stuff?"

"No, he probably thought because I was so sick, I'd die before I got old enough for him to have to worry about it. Looks like he didn't tell you either."

"Yeah, you're right. He was never big on the fatherly duties, was he? Don't they teach this kind of thing in sex ed?"

"I guess so, but don't forget, I missed so much school because of the leukemia. I got most of my schooling at home with Mom and I guess stuff like that wasn't that important. Maybe she thought the way Dad did, that I wasn't going to live to be old enough for it to matter."

"I'm sorry that you were worried. The next time you wonder about something, come to me okay!" Reid looked intently at his brother.

Evan smiled and nodded his head. "So did you have a particular girl you liked in school?"

"Not when I was your age. I was in university and all the girls were at least five years older than me. I never really got to be around girls my own age, you know, where we were both developing at the same time. When I reached puberty, all the girls around me were already developed and had been through puberty a long time ago."

"So you didn't get to go to any school dances and stuff."

Reid sighed, remembering walking down the halls of his high school where the banners announcing the school dances were posted and hearing his classmates talk about who would go with who and what they would wear, it seemed like such a happy time for them. When the night of the dance would roll around, he would be at home reading his books or tending to the house and his mother. Reid cleared his throat, "No, I didn't get to go to any of the school dances or the prom."

"Sorry," Evan said.

"That's okay; it was a long time ago."

"I'm sorry about before, I didn't mean to shut you out, I just didn't know how to tell you. You don't know what it's like living every day not knowing if this disease is gonna attack again."

"Yes Evan I do," Reid admitted and saw the surprise in Evan's eyes, "You know my mother has a mental illness." Evan nodded and Reid continued, "The illness she has can be hereditary. That means there is a chance that I will get it too, not a big chance but a chance nonetheless. I live every day like you, wondering if this will be the day I start hearing voices, I question every time I talk to myself, whether I'm sane or not. That's what dad meant when he said nobody better expect him to look after me when I go 'schizo'."

"I'm sorry," Evan said reaching out to touch Spencer's arm.

"That's okay. That's enough of us being gloomy Gusses. It's probably too late to go back to the exhibit, do you want to rent some movies and we'll order a pizza and eat it this time."

"Can I call Mom and ask her if I can stay overnight." Evan jumped up and headed for the phone.

"As long as you promise not to think about Bethany before you go to sleep."

"As long as you promise not to think about A..A..Allie." Evan laughed, and was surprised when he was quickly hit by a cushion Reid threw at him from the couch.

Reid and Evan drove down to the mall picked out some movies, bought some snacks and headed home to order the pizza that, this time, Evan ate with gusto. After they'd watched their movies and talked, Evan headed for the bedroom and Reid made his bed up on the couch.

Reid had fallen into a light sleep when he felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned and in the light from the hall saw Evan sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch. Reid came awake, thinking something was wrong. "What's wrong bud, why aren't you sleeping?"

"I just wanted to tell you something."

"What," Reid asked.

"You know when dad said they better not expect him to look after you if you ever go 'schizo.'

"Yeah," Reid replied, bewildered.

"You can tell whoever they are, that they can call me." He said quietly and got up and returned to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Criminal Minds

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The team was in Montgomery. They were investigating a rash of very bizarre murders of full term pregnant women. The women were murdered, their fetuses taken and their bodies dumped. The investigation of recent adoptions in the city led them to a private adoption clinic that they believed was killing these women as a means to obtain babies for their clients. Although the team was certain of the clinic's involvement, proving it was another matter. Then Gideon had an idea. "Why don't we send a couple in undercover to try to adopt a baby? We'll get a tap on their phones, perhaps they'll call the killer, and we can tail that person and maybe catch him in the act."

Hotch agreed that the plan might work and he left the room saying he'd be back soon. He returned a short time later with two wedding bands. He put them on the table, one in front of JJ and one in front of Reid and said with a slight smirk, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Morgan was skeptical as neither Reid nor JJ had ever been undercover before. He thought he and Prentiss should go, however Hotch and Gideon both felt that finding a mixed race child would be more difficult for the clinic and might take longer, putting more women at risk.

The Montgomery PD had fake IDs made for both Reid and JJ, keeping Reid's name but giving him an address in Montgomery. JJ was given an ID that proclaimed her to be Jennifer Reid, the loving wife of Spencer Reid.

They were luckily able to get an appointment for the next day. They made up a fictitious wedding day, fictitious family and fictitious jobs. Reid and JJ were holed up in JJ's hotel room all evening getting these facts memorized so they would have their cover down for the appointment in the morning.

Reid was anxious about the assignment. Memorizing the information was no problem, but putting on a performance in front of the person at the clinic had him concerned. He was not a very good actor, he thought. JJ, with her usual upbeat attitude assured Reid that they could pull it off. Reid said under his breath, "I hope this works out better than the last time we were sent out on an assignment together."

The next morning, JJ and a nervous Reid, were ushered into the office of Gloria Webber, head of the clinic. She seemed very happy to meet such an attractive and nice young couple. She appeared very sympathetic when they informed her that the lovely Jennifer was unable to have children. They were hoping the clinic could help them and coming from a wealthy family Spencer informed her that money was no object.

She asked them how long they had been married and about their jobs and they gave the answers they had rehearsed earlier. Finally Gloria Webber asked, "What is the reason you are unable to conceive Jennifer?"

JJ paused; this was not something they had discussed. She was trying to think of a plausible response when Reid touched her hand and said, "It's okay honey," he turned and faced Ms. Webber, "She doesn't really like to talk about it, but she suffered from endometriosis which caused the infertility."

The rest of the team was listening in a van nearby. Hotch remarked, "Nice save Reid."

Ms. Webber sympathized with JJ and said she thought they could help find a child for the couple. Reid asked, "How long do these things usually take? My father and mother live in France and my father is very ill and we're hoping to go over there and present them with a grandchild before he dies" The clinic director thought there would be no problem and said they would be in touch. Reid and JJ left the clinic to rejoin the team now that the plan had been put in motion.

Immediately after the couple left the office, Ms. Webber placed a call. A woman answered on the other end. Webber said, "Okay Cynthia we need a baby of a pretty blond woman, lovely sapphire blue eyes, she's about 5'7" and a very attractive brown haired man, eyes brown like chocolate. He's about 6'1".

As Webber was talking to her accomplice on the phone, Reid and JJ were entering the back of the van. The woman on the other end of the phone responded, "Okay Gloria, when I have a candidate, I'll contact Chad as usual."

"Good," Webber said, "Oh and Cynthia, make it as soon as you can. The husband is eager to have a baby to take home to his rich daddy in France, seems like dear old dad's not long for this world."

"Maybe we could up the price a bit since the guy's probably coming into money once his old man passes." Cynthia replied.

"Yeah," Webber said,"I'll consider that," and hung up.

Hotch immediately said, "Did you get all that Garcia."

Garcia replied, "Yeah, got it Hotch. Webber called a Cynthia McCallister," there was a slight pause and the team could hear Garcia's fingers working their magic on her keyboard. "Okay, Cynthia McCallister, registered nurse, works as a temp nurse for about six different ObGyn clinics in Montgomery. No wants, no warrants. Trap and trace has been put on her phone. Looking at her phone records, the Chad she mentions could be Charles Fulton. She appears to have called him on quite a few occasions and always after she gets a call from the adoption clinic."

They heard some more fingering of the keyboard. "Charles Fulton, thirty-three, of Apt 106- 46 Brentwood Drive, Montgomery. Did time in the state penn for armed robbery in 1998. Known associates, Mark Drexel of 526 Cloverdale Boulevard."

"Thanks baby girl, send us all the info," Morgan said as they ended contact with the computer tech.

"So," Emily mused, "This McCallister works at six clinics and scopes out the clients and then Webber calls and places an 'order,' McCallister picks someone from her list of candidates and this Chad goes and picks the woman up. There must be someone else involved, someone with medical knowledge who is either inducing labor or removing the babies by C section and then the woman is disposed of."

Armed with a picture of Chad Fulton, Morgan and Prentiss went to stake out his home. The others waited for McCallister to call Fulton so they would know who the intended victim was and they could provide protection.

The call went out about ten minutes later; the intended victim's name was Amy Taylor. They took note of the address and called Morgan and Prentiss with the information. The team headed over to the Taylor home with lights and sirens to beat Chad there. JJ went to the house, rang the bell, produced her FBI ID and was let in by Amy Taylor.

Chad arrived a few minutes later and went to the back of the house, managing to let himself in. He was then seen coming out of the house dragging a pregnant blond woman who was protesting. He shoved her in a van and drove off, with the BAU following close behind. They took turns turning off so the same car was not following him all the time. He stopped in front of a grey Cape Cod style home. Chad opened the van, pulled the woman out and dragged her into the house. The BAU team, with vests on and weapons drawn approached the house from all sides.

They heard a woman yell from inside, this isn't Amy Taylor and the team burst into the house yelling "Freeze, FBI." The three people in the room raised their hands and Morgan and Prentiss cuffed them and read them their rights before handing them over to the Montgomery PD.

A smiling JJ came over to Reid and opened her jacket removing a blue pillow she had tucked in there to simulate a pregnancy. She handed the pillow to him and said "Congratulations, it's a boy!" The team burst into laughter and after over a week in Montgomery, it was, at last, time to head home.

Reid checked his cell; there was a message from Evan. Reid called the boy, "Hi bud, how's it going?'

"Hi Spencer, good, how's your case, when are you coming home. It seems like you've been gone forever."

"Yeah, this one took a little while. We just finished up with it and we should be leaving soon. I'll be home later this evening. I probably won't see you until tomorrow. How's Bethany?"

"Spencer! She's not my girlfriend or anything. So, I'll see you tomorrow, I have to talk to you about something really important."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

**A/N: **I have put a few Spanish phrases in this chapter; I know no Spanish and I hope I have got them correct. If not, I apologize for any mistakes. The gist of the conversation is relayed so hopefully my lack of knowledge of Spanish should not detract from the chapter!

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Reid awoke the next morning, glad that after over a week in Montgomery, he finally had a day off. He was debating getting up or going back to sleep, when the phone beside the bed rang. "It better not be Hotch, he thought to himself as he picked it up, "Reid."

"Hi," the bright voice responded.

"Evan," Reid replied, sleepily, "What time is it?"

"It's 9:30, were you still sleeping?"

"Not exactly, I was considering just covering my head and going back to sleep."

There was a disappointed sounding "Oh," a long pause and then, "Well I guess I'll talk to you later then."

"Hang on, let me wake up here. You said you had something important to talk to me about?"

"Yeah, are you coming over later? It's really important."

"Can't you just tell me on the phone?"

"No, pleeease."

"Okay, okay, give me a little while and I'll be there." Reid hung up the phone and wondered what was so important that his brother wanted him to rush right over there. He got out of bed and headed for the shower.

While he let the hot water wash over him, he thought about his relationship with his brother. He had such a difficult time relating to most of the things going on in Evan's life because his life at that age had been so different. Instead of Introduction to Algebra and American History, his book bag had contained Advanced Calculus and the history of Egypt, the Phoenicians and the decoding of the hieroglyphics. Instead of The Diary of Ann Frank, he was contemplating the writings of the likes of Plato, Socrates, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. Instead of complaining over homework to get through eighth grade, he was carrying a full load of classes plus six extra electives on his way to his first degree in mathematics. Instead of coming home in the evening and going to his room to watch TV, DVDs, listen to music or play with Playstation, he was making meals and attempting to get his mother to eat them, getting her to take her medication, cleaning house, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, paying bills all while concentrating on his studies.

Although his and Evan's lives had been poles apart, there were times when he felt closer to Evan than anyone else. He couldn't explain it. The nature versus nurture battle had raged on for centuries and probably would forever. He could see both sides and would have always said he leaned more toward the nurture side but knowing Evan made him wonder now. There was an unknown entity that bound the two of them together. Whether it was that they both had problems with their father, or the fact that Evan's illness and his bone marrow donation had forged a bond, he couldn't say. Or maybe it was as simple as the fact that they were both Reids. All he knew was that Evan was important to him now and if he needed him, he would be there, no questions asked.

After he'd showered and dressed, he made some coffee and poured himself a bowl of cereal. He picked up his cell phone and punched the speed dial. After two rings a cheery voice said "Hello."

"Hi, there."

"Well, flyboy, you're home. How was Alabama?"

"It was hot and busy. I've come to the conclusion that people do really disgusting things to one another."

"You're only figuring this out now! I thought you were a genius. So what was this one?"

"An adoption clinic killing women who were close to giving birth to get their babies."

"That is pretty disgusting, you okay, you got them right?"

"Yes, yes and yes." He paused for a moment, "JJ and I had to pretend to be married and wanting to adopt a baby in a sting."

Allie laughed, "I'm sure that was a hardship for you. How far did you have to go in this pretending to be married thing?"

"Oh we had to consummate the marriage and everything, we wanted it to appear real you know. No really, we put on some wedding bands, got fake ID and memorized a story. So what have you been up to while I've been gone?"

"Well, I really took that lambasting you gave me at Scrabble to heart, so I've been studying and I'm up to the B's in the Scrabble Dictionary. Too bad I don't have an eidetic memory, oh well it doesn't matter. One day I'm going to get all the good letters, and you're going down. It's only a matter of time."

Reid smiled; she could always seem to make him smile. "So, do you have any plans for today, other than reading the dictionary, of course?"

"Well, nothing really, what did you have in mind?"

"I have to go over to Evan's. He has something really important, according to him, that he has to talk to me about. I don't know how long that will take. You're welcome to come with me, I know Evan is fond of you and you could visit with Janice while Evan discusses whatever it is that's urgent. Then perhaps we could do something and I could take you out to dinner."

"I have a better idea, I'll go with you to Evan's and then we can do whatever afterward but instead of going out to dinner, come back here and I'll make something home cooked. You've been eating in restaurants for over a week. You could use some home cooking," she cleared her throat, "If you know what I mean."

"You are a naughty girl." Reid agreed wholeheartedly with the plan and said he would be around to pick her up in half an hour. He put his dishes in the dishwasher, tidied his apartment and left to pickup Allie.

When the pair arrived at the house on Lakeview Lane, the door was opened by Janice, who seemed relieved to see Reid. "Oh, thank God you're here. He's been driving me crazy for the last two days. He's got a request for you. I told him I didn't think you'd agree but he's chomping at the bit to ask you. Oh hi Allie, it's nice to see you."

Allie smiled her usual warm smile and said, "Hi Janice, it's nice to see you too. You've really got the place coming along. I love the flowers you put out front."

Suddenly two boys came running from the direction of Evan's room. Evan was accompanied by another boy his age; he appeared to be Latino, a little taller and heavier than Evan. "Hi Spencer, I'm so glad you're here. Hi Allie, I haven't seen you in a while. This is my friend Manny Castillo. Manny this is my brother Spencer and his girlfriend Allie Graham."

Manny gave a little wave and said "Hello Senor Reid, Senorita Graham."

"Hola, Manny¡ mucho gusto!" Reid said in a poor attempt at Spanish.

"Hola senor¡ mucho gusto!" Manny replied.

"De donde eres¿"

"Soy de Cuba, senor."

Cuanto vives aqui¿"

"Acerca de un ano."

"Te gusta vivir aqui en la Estados Unidos¿"

"Si, senor, nuestra vida es maravillosa aqui."

"Bueno."

Reid laughed after the exchange," I apologize Manny, my Spanish is not very good and I'm told my accent is awful."

Manny smiled and wiggled his hand as if to say so-so. "That's okay Senor Reid; it is nice of you to try."

"What was all that about?" Evan asked.

"We said we were pleased to meet each other and he told me he came from Cuba about a year ago and they have a wonderful life here."

"Allie, would you be interested in some coffee or iced tea in the kitchen; the guys need to talk," Janice interjected and she and Allie left the room together.

Reid sat on the couch, "Okay, what was so important that you had to talk to me right away?"

Evan started in, "You know my group at school, the Explorers," Reid nodded and Evan carried on; "We're having a father/son weekend of camping in the woods to look at birds, trees and wildlife in the area. I don't have a dad here and I wouldn't want him even if he was here. I was wondering if you would go instead. Mr. Unger, he's our leader, he said it was okay if I brought my brother instead of my dad as long as he was an adult and last time I checked you were. So what do you say; will you be my partner on the camping trip?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing, darn!

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"Camping." Reid was dumbfounded, of all the scenarios he might have had in his mind, he never considered this one. "You're not serious, right?"

"Yeah, of course I'm serious. It'll be great. Manny's dad's going," Manny nodded his head eagerly as if that fact in itself would make Reid agree immediately. "Jared, Devon, Peter and Michael are all coming with their dads."

"Evan, you know what my job is like. You know that I really can't commit to anything because there's always a chance I'll be called away on a case."

"Okay, if you got called away on a case," Evan conceded, "You couldn't come. I get that, but if there's no case, you'll come right?"

"Oh brother, I am really not the outdoorsy, pitch a tent and roast marshmallows in the campfire kind of guy. Someone like Gideon or Morgan would be better."

"No," Evan said emphatically, "I like Gideon and Morgan a lot but I love you and I want to go with you." He sat dejectedly on the loveseat with his head down, 'You're not gonna do it are you?" Manny joined him on the loveseat looking equally miserable.

Had they planned it this way? Did Evan think guilt would work on him as well as it did on his mother? Had he and Manny decided to try to double team him thinking two boyish faces looking at him like he was the Grinch that stole Christmas would work better than one? Well damn if it wasn't working. Evan couldn't understand PTSD he told himself. The boys had no way of knowing that things like being in the dark in wooded areas and seeing dead leaves could trigger flashbacks and extreme panic attacks. His brother knew nothing about his kidnapping and torture in Georgia. All he knew, Reid thought, was that this was probably the first time he would be able to participate in an activity with other kids. He'd always been too sick in the past. Well, Reid decided, he'd just have to suck it up and do this for his brother. He just couldn't look at those two faces and let them down.

"Okay, if there's no case, I'll go," Reid managed to get out before Evan threw himself at his older brother engulfing him in a hug and to Reid's total surprise they were joined by Manny. The boys succeeded in pushing Reid back on the couch and were piled on him like he was a fallen football player.

Janice peeked into the room, "Evan, Manny, get off Spencer for God's sake. Do you want to smother the poor man?"

"Mom," Evan babbled excitedly, "Spencer said he would go on the camping trip if he doesn't have a case. Isn't that great?"

"Yes, that's great."

Allie, standing in the dining room doorway, raised her eyebrows and, looking at Reid, mouthed "Are you sure about this?" Reid shrugged.

"Okay pal," Janice said, "We can talk about this more later. Allie and I made lunch for you guys so come and get it." She shepherded the two boys into the dining room leaving Reid sitting on the couch, then she poked her head back into the room, saying, "You too Spencer, get in here." Reid got up and followed the group into the dining room.

As they ate the Cobb salad and garlic bread, the boys chatted animatedly about how happy they were to be going on this camping trip together especially now that Spencer was coming.

Janice seemed happy with the turn of events as well but Allie looked skeptical. Reid had talked to her about some of his ordeal in Georgia, although he didn't like to dwell on it, he said. His teammates were not that forthcoming either. At times she felt that they were standing guard around him lest someone try to hurt him again. Garcia had made it clear that, although she liked Allie, she would be keeping an eye on her. No one, it seemed, would be allowed to get close to Spencer if there was a chance they might hurt him. Reid, for all his genius, she thought, seemed totally oblivious to the machinations of his teammates behind his back. Allie felt sure if he was aware, he would be upset that the group felt such a primal need to protect him. Since his teammates were not letting her in or telling her how she could help, she had resorted to books and to talking to the father of a friend, who was a psychiatrist, in an attempt to be as supportive as possible to a man she had come to care for deeply.

She was unsure if embarking on a camping trip with twelve people, eleven of whom were virtual strangers and all who knew nothing of the kidnapping and torture he'd endured in Georgia, was a good idea. However, she knew Spencer, and she knew his good heartedness and compassion for others would override any concern he felt for himself. If he was determined to do this, she would support him in any way she could. She would offer encouragement tempered with humor. She would take him in her arms when fear took hold and soothe him with gentle words and soft kisses. She would remind him that she and Evan and everyone on the team loved him and nothing that happened on some camping trip could change that. And she'd pray it would be enough.

Spencer and Allie left shortly after lunch and Spencer promised to come over soon so he and Evan could go shopping for the gear needed for the camping trip. As they were driving Allie asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea," giving his arm a tender squeeze.

"No, it's probably not, but I didn't have the heart to let them down; you couldn't see their faces. I suppose I can't avoid these things forever."

"Okay, I hear you, so why don't we take a little drive out to Rosaryville State Park. We can just stroll around and you can get the feel for it with no pressure and when you want to leave, we leave."

Reid glanced briefly at Allie in the passenger seat. "That won't be much fun for you. What if I flip out?"

"Then we come home, I hold you till you stop shaking and then I feed you the best meal you've had in a long time. And if you don't flip out we can do it anyway minus the shaking, of course."

"You're a good woman Allie Graham," he said squeezing her hand.

She ran her fingers through his hair, pushing it behind his ear, "And you're a good man Spencer Reid."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Still own nothing unfortunately.

**A/N:** Thanks to all who read and reviewed

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As luck would have it, the weekend of the camping trip arrived and the BAU were not on a case. Evan was spending the night at Reid's as they had to leave very early for their grand adventure, as Evan called it. Reid was not as thrilled, but kept his thoughts to himself around the boy.

Evan was busily doing yet another check of all their equipment, making sure they had everything on the list Mr. Unger had provided. Reid was at the door talking to Allie, who had come to wish them luck for the weekend. She had been made to pay attention while Evan showed her all the gear he and his brother had bought in preparation for the trip.

"Okay, so listen to me," Allie said, grabbing the lapels of Reid's jacket. "If anything happens and you need me, you get somewhere within cell range, call me and I'm there. You got that?"

"Yeah, I got that," Reid replied, looking at the floor.

"I'll see you when you get back," Allie put her arms around his neck and their lips met in a long deep kiss that left them both breathless. When they eventually pulled apart Allie glanced up and whispered, "We're being watched." Reid turned to see Evan staring at them.

"Don't stop on my account. Maybe I should like go to the bathroom or something," Evan said, standing up to leave the room.

Allie and Reid started to laugh. "No, it's okay Evan, I'm just leaving, have fun you two." She gave Reid another quick kiss, waved to them and was gone.

"I guess it's not much fun to have your little brother around to cramp your style."

Reid laughed, "What style?"

"Spencer, what's it like to kiss a girl?"

"Well it's kind of hard to explain, it's nice."

"You didn't have a girlfriend in high school or university, right." Reid nodded. "So how old were you when you first kissed a girl?"

"Why, you're not thinking of kissing Bethany, are you?"

"Well, I think about it," Evan answered, sheepishly, "Shouldn't I?"

"Well, yeah, I guess it's normal to think about it."

"So how old were you when you first kissed a girl?"

"I was pretty old actually, I was twenty-four."

"Twenty-four! I'm not waiting that long," Evan said emphatically, "So who was she, the girl you kissed?"

"She was an actress I was protecting from a stalker in L.A."

"An actress, really!"

"Yes."

"What's her name, is she someone I know?" Evan was getting excited.

"I don't know whether you know her or not."

"Well, who was she, come on Spencer, dish?"

"Her name is Lila Archer."

Evan's jaw almost hit the floor. Lila Archer, you kissed Lila Archer, from that TV show! Oh man, she's hot! You kissed Lila Archer! My brother kissed Lila Archer! Wait till I tell Manny and the guys at school!

"No, oh no, Evan you do not need to tell Manny and the guys at school!"

"Oh come on, Spencer, you can't expect me not to tell the guys about this. It's the best. Lila Archer, so what was it like? Wow!"

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation. All right, you better get to bed; we have to get up really early to meet everyone at the school."

"Spencer do I have to," Evan whined.

Reid thought, why do I feel like a parent all of a sudden? "Yes, you have to or you'll be dead tired in the morning."

"Well, I probably won't be able to sleep anyway so why go to bed?" Evan added, hoping this logic would make his usually logical brother relent.

"I think you better try, you may be surprised." Reid didn't want to admit that he didn't think he'd sleep much either but the cause of his sleeplessness was more related to trepidation than excitement.

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They were on the road bright and early the next morning. The sun was barely rising. Much to Evan's surprise he had slept well and this morning was a bundle of excitement and spirited energy. Reid, on the other hand, had not slept and was a bundle of nerves.

They pulled into the school parking lot to find most of the other participants in the weekend excursion were already there. Evan immediately went in search of Manny and found him and his father pulling gear from their car. The boys greeted each other eagerly. Reid came up behind Evan and greeted Manny who introduced him to his father, Juan.

Juan Castillo was 5' 10" and had a stocky build with a thatch of short black hair. He shook Reid's hand telling him he was honored to meet him, in heavily accented English. Reid told Juan he was glad to meet him as well and he was pleased that the boys had become such good friends.

A tall thin man, who looked every inch the outdoorsy type, approached and Reid assumed he was the leader of the Explorers group, which the man confirmed when he introduced himself. "Lyle Unger, pleased to meet you, you must be Spencer, Evan's brother, the FBI agent. He talks about you all the time." Reid looked at the ground, his face turning a slight crimson color, and told Lyle he was pleased to meet him as well.

Lyle turned and introduced the others, Wayne and Jared Dressler, Nathan and Devon Jackson, Les and Peter Hollister. They all nodded briefly in turn as they were introduced. Lyle said they were still waiting on the last pair when a car pulled up driven by a woman. A man and boy jumped out as the trunk popped open. They retrieved their gear, waved to the woman and came to join the others. Lyle again introduced everyone to the newcomers who were Michael Forbes and his father, Jim.

It was decided to take as few vehicles as possible, pairs would double up. Since Reid had an SUV, they decided to take his vehicle and Juan and Manny would ride with him and Evan. After stowing Juan and Manny's gear, the boys jumped in the back and started babbling excitedly to one another. Juan joined Reid in the front and waited for the caravan to begin.

Reid started driving, trying to remind himself to keep a positive attitude, after all he told himself, the walk in the park he had taken with Allie had been, well, 'a walk in the park'. But, he told himself, it had been daylight, and they had not strayed from the paths. He couldn't help the flip flopping of his stomach that told him this was going to be another matter entirely.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Criminal Minds, sometimes I hardly own my own.

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After what seemed to the boys in the back seat like an endless time on the road, they arrived at their destination. During the ride, Reid had learned that Juan was the manager of a small grocery store in their neighborhood. Manny's mother, Elena, also worked in the store as a cashier. Life, Juan stated had been very good to them since coming to America from Cuba.

The Cedarville State Forest was to be their home for the next two days. Lyle Unger had already picked out an area and everyone got their gear and followed Lyle to the spot he had chosen for them to make camp. He explained he had chosen it for its abundance of trees, wildlife and birds. It was also close to the water.

Upon reaching the campsite, Lyle asked any who had experience to help with pitching the tents. A few of the fathers were familiar with the task so they volunteered. Lyle said to Reid, "Oh, I've got a job for you that doesn't require any previous camping experience. He reached into the cart he had used to tote the camping equipment and handed Reid a shovel. "You can dig the fire pit."

Reid stood looking at the shovel in his hands, remembering the last time his hands held a shovel. Lyle, noticing the strange expression on Reid's face said, "Are you all right?" Reid nodded, unable to speak. Lyle pointed to a spot. "You can dig the fire pit there. Put the dirt in this bucket and dump it over there and we'll fill the pit again once we're done. He walked off to attend to other duties of setting up the camp. Reid continued to stare at the shovel seemingly rooted to the spot where he was standing.

"Hey Spencer," Evan said, "What are you doing with the shovel? Are you going to dig something?"

Reid shook himself out of his flashback, "Yeah, I have to dig the fire pit."

"Cool," Evan remarked, wondering about the strange look on his brother's face. "Can I help?"

"Sure," Reid replied, eventually moving over to the spot Lyle had indicated for the fire pit. "Do you want to try digging for a while?" He handed the shovel to his brother and Evan attempted to push it into the hard earth with little success. "You have to push with your foot," Reid demonstrated.

Evan started to dig the fire pit with Reid standing by him when Devon and Michael walked by and Devon said good naturedly to Evan, "Dig faster."

Evan laughed replying "I'm trying, I'm not strong enough."

_Dig faster. I'm not strong enough. Dig faster. I'm not strong enough. Dig faster. I'm not strong enough._

Evan was startled when Reid suddenly bolted into the wooded area beyond the campsite. He stood there for a moment then dropped the shovel and ran after his brother. Evan found Spencer sitting with his back to a tree, his knees bent up and his head on his knees. He was trembling.

"Spencer, there you are, what's wrong?" Evan knelt next to his brother and touched him on the shoulder. "Spencer, are you okay?"

Reid looked up, seeing his little brother; he let out a big breath and said, "Evan."

"Yeah, are you all right Spencer?" the boy asked, looking worried.

"Yeah," Reid insisted, attempting to reassure his brother, "I'm great, I felt a little sick to my stomach there for a moment and I thought I might throw up but I'm okay now." He stood up trying not to let Evan see he was using the tree for support. "All right then, let's get back to the campsite."

They arrived back at the campsite and a few of their fellow campers looked concerned. Reid assured everyone he was fine and had just had a spell of nausea but was better now. If only he could believe it himself. Reid saw that while they were gone someone else had dug the fire pit. It bothered him that someone had had to do his job but he was thankful to not have to pick up that shovel again right now. He asked what else needed to be done and Lyle said wood needed to be collected for the fire. Well, Reid thought, I think I can handle that. Evan offered to go with him; he was worried about Spencer.

They silently collected wood for the fire, only speaking to remark on the best wood to get and how much they'd need. Why wasn't Spencer talking to him, Evan wondered. Normally he would be telling him all about the history of the park, the trees, the wildlife and the birds, but he was just silently collecting wood. Evan knew there was something wrong with his brother.

Reid was trying to concentrate on collecting the firewood and not think about the sound the dead leaves made as they crackled under his feet. He reached for a piece of wood on the ground and as he did so, he could see the wood being wielded by Tobias coming at his foot and could once again feel the bone crushing pain. He dropped the wood like he'd been burned.

Evan looked at his brother, confused. What was the matter with Spencer? He looked like he'd seen a ghost, sweat was pouring down his face, he was visibly shaking and it seemed like he was in pain. "Spencer, are you okay?" Evan approached his brother, worry etched on his face. "Spencer," he said again when he got no reply from his brother, touching him on the arm.

Reid jumped letting out a gasp and a small wail. Evan looked confused and frightened. "Spencer, what's wrong?" Reid stood for a moment looking at him but Evan almost thought he wasn't seeing him. "Spencer, please talk to me." He begged, concern evident in his voice.

Reid finally shook himself, realizing that Evan was talking to him. "What, what… yeah, yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay," Reid spluttered, quickly turning and heading back the way they had come, carrying the firewood. Evan followed, watching his brother closely as they neared the camp.

They returned to the campsite to find Lyle getting ready to take the boys for a little hike to look at some birds. The adults were given the choice to come or stay and relax at the camp. Evan hoped Spencer wanted to come. He didn't want to leave him here with strangers; he was worried about him. Jim Forbes and Juan Castillo decided to go with the boys. Spencer however decided to stay at the camp so Evan had no choice but to leave him and go with the other boys.

While they were hiking and Mr. Unger was pointing out some field sparrows and brown thrashers and one red tailed hawk, Evan could think of nothing but Spencer trembling by that tree and his strange behavior when they were collecting the wood. All of a sudden a gasp escaped from Evan, was it the schizophrenia; had it chosen this day to come to his brother. No, no, that couldn't happen to Spencer. Please God, don't let that be happening to Spencer. But what else could it be?

When they returned to the campsite Evan headed straight for Spencer. He was sitting talking to the fathers of his friends and he seemed better than when the group had left for the hike. He was talking to Jared Dressler's dad, an optician about some of the problems he'd had with his contact lenses. Evan sat down beside him. Spencer asked how the hike was and had he seen any interesting birds. Evan didn't want to tell him that he hadn't been paying the slightest bit of attention because of his concern for Spencer. He said it was okay and they had seen quite a few birds.

"How are you feeling now? Is your stomach better?"

"Yeah, it's a lot better now. Les Hollister gave me the lowdown on IRA's, Wayne Dressler says I can get contacts that don't bother my eyes so much and I'll hardly ever have to wear my glasses. Nathan's been telling me about the lobbying he's been doing on behalf of those with mental illness and you know that interests me because of my mother. So we've been having some really good discussions."

Lyle Unger was calling the group to get together and help cook their meal of hot dogs over the fire and everyone contributed in getting it ready. The fire had been built while the boys were out hiking and was burning well with all the wood Evan and Spencer had collected. The group put their hot dogs on long sticks and cooked them over the fire and everyone remarked how good they tasted cooked that way.

After they ate, and were all sitting around the fire Lyle asked them all to tell a bit about themselves. Juan told the group about the trip from Cuba and the trials and tribulations of starting a life in a new country but the benefits far outweighed the hardships he said.

Wayne Dressler told the group that he was an optician. He'd gotten interested in the profession after dealing with so many of them in his youth since he had a sister with serious eye problems.

Nathan Jackson said he had come to DC as an aide to a senator from his district and then got into lobbying when he saw bills that needed to be passed and he thought he could help get that accomplished and he was very proud of his record of getting the bills he lobbied for passed.

Les Hollister told of how he started out keeping the books for his father's small business in Annapolis and when his father eventually sold the business, he decided to build on his skills and trained to be a chartered accountant.

Jim Forbes laughed when he told the group that he was the dreaded and never to be believed car salesman, though he did stress that he really was honest with all his customers.

Lastly they turned to Spencer. He said he was an FBI agent in the Behavioral Analysis Unit, which is called in to get inside the minds of some of the worst criminals, serial killers, rapists and your garden variety psychopath.

Jared asked, "Do you have a badge and gun?"

"Yes I do."

"Did you ever shoot anybody?"

"Yes, I've shot people."

"Did you kill them," Devon asked.

"Yes, I did."

The boys' eyes grew big, realizing that Reid had actually killed someone. "Really, did you bring your gun with you?" Michael wanted to know.

"Yes, I brought it with me."

"Wow, can we see it?" Peter inquired.

Reid looked around at the fathers and they all nodded so he reached for his holster in his back and pulled out his Glock and showed it to the boys.

"Can we hold it," Manny asked?

Reid again looked at the fathers and they nodded again since it was in this environment. Reid removed the clip and emptied the chamber, put the safety on and handed it to Manny.

"Wow, it's heavy," Jared remarked. They all passed the firearm around and returned it to Reid who reinserted the clip and reholstered the weapon.

Nathan Jackson told Lyle that he thought this was a good place for the camping trip and commended him on his choice.

"Thanks Nathan, I've visited here quite a few times, fishing, hiking and biking so I've gotten to know the place and thought it would be a great learning experience for the kids."

Reid added, "The Piscataway Indian tribe originally made this their winter camping ground due to the mild climate and the abundance of game." Evan breathed a slight sigh of relief; this sounded more like his brother. Maybe he did just have an upset stomach.

"I didn't actually know that fact but there is legend that this was a tribal burial ground but no evidence has ever been found." Lyle informed the group.

Jim Forbes started asking Lyle about the plans for tomorrow.

The group was starting to decide on sleeping arrangements. Lyle wanted two boys in a tent with one adult and the other four adults could share the last tent. Evan wanted to be in a tent with Spencer; he didn't want to be separated from him tonight. Manny agreed to go into the tent with Evan and Spencer. The other arrangements were worked out and everyone got their bags and headed for their assigned tent.

_Burial ground. Burial ground. Tobias, are we in a cemetery. Cemetery. Cemetery._

Evan looked at Spencer as they gathered up their gear; he had that strange expression on his face again. What was going on?


	12. Chapter 12

**D****isclaimer:** I do not, and never will, (darn it!) own Criminal Minds

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Manny, Evan and Reid got their sleeping bags set up and ready for the night. Manny was babbling in his usual manner, his English becoming more heavily accented with Spanish as it did when he became excited. He seemed oblivious to the fact that neither Evan nor Spencer was contributing to the conversation.

Spencer seemed very on edge, Evan thought, almost like a house of cards, if you dared touch it, it might break apart completely. Evan was very worried. This was so unlike his brother. Maybe he was tired, Evan thought. Maybe if he gets some sleep, he'll be better in the morning.

The three got into their sleeping bags, Manny still babbled and Evan answered him when he had no choice. Spencer closed his eyes immediately and Evan could see by the movement of his chest, he slept. Good. Manny had finally quieted as well. Evan, though, did not sleep. He just lied there keeping his eyes on his sleeping brother.

A little while later Reid started to moan and whimper and then his body started to shake. "Not weak, not weak," he kept repeating, as his body shook and moved from side to side as if trying to get out of someone's grasp. "No Tobias, no, I don't want it. Please, I don't want it."

Evan got out of his sleeping bag, not knowing whether he should wake his brother or not. He knelt beside Spencer and softly stroked his hair which was soaked with perspiration. There were also beads of sweat on his forehead. The shaking and thrashing about eased up but he continued to moan and whimper. His face looked pained.

Who was Tobias, Evan wondered? Was he a voice in his brother's head? Was this the schizophrenia that he was so afraid of? Oh God no please. Evan remembered the times when he was so sick, he had prayed so hard and asked God to help him and He had hadn't He? He'd sent him Spencer. Evan continued to kneel like he'd been taught, bowed his head and closed his eyes but instead of putting his hands together, he continued to stroke Spencer's hair.

"Dear God, I haven't talked to You in a while like I should. I used to talk to You all the time when I was sick, You were probably sick of me always asking You to help make me better. But You did make me better; You sent me Spencer. So I gotta ask You again, not for me this time but for my brother. He's the greatest guy but I guess You know that. Please, please," Evan's voice cracked and tears started to meander down his cheeks, "Don't make him have schizophrenia. I love him so much. I need him." Evan whispered the last words in desperation. "Please help him. Amen."

Evan remembered when he was a little boy his mom used to sing him lullabies at night to soothe him to sleep. He didn't think Spencer cared for lullabies but he knew an old song that his mother sometimes played. She said it was a big hit when she was a kid. He cleared he throat and started to sing very softly.

The road is long

With many a winding turn

That leads us to who knows where

Who knows when.

But I'm strong

Strong enough to carry him

He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

So on we go

His welfare is my concern

No burden is he to bear

We'll get there

For I know

He would not encumber me

He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

If I'm laden at all

I'm laden with sadness

That everyone's heart

Isn't filled with the gladness

Of love for one another.

It's a long, long road

From which there is no return

While we're on our way to there

Why not share

And the load

Doesn't weigh me down at all

He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

He's my brother

He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

When Evan finished singing he noticed that Spencer was no longer moaning, whimpering, shaking or thrashing about. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Evan considered bringing his sleeping bag over next to Spencer, but he thought it might disturb him. He didn't want to go back to his sleeping bag so Evan lied down uncovered on the hard floor of the tent beside Reid.

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Reid awoke to the loud chirping of birds, momentarily confused, until he realized where he was; in a tent on a camping trip with Evan. He looked up to see the object of his thoughts lying on the floor of the tent beside him. Why wasn't Evan in his sleeping bag? Had he heard some animal noises and been frightened? He should have brought his sleeping bag over. He must be uncomfortable sleeping on the hard tent floor with no cushioning between him and the ground, not to mention, cold. He touched the boy gently. "Hey Evan, hey buddy," he spoke softly. Evan opened his eyes looking at his older brother. "Hi, what are you doing over here? Did you have a scare in the night? You should have brought your sleeping bag over, you can't have been comfortable like that," he indicated the bare floor with his hand.

Evan sat up, looking intently at Spencer, studying his face for some sign of what he had seen in his brother yesterday. But this morning he saw nothing. Spencer looked as he always did. He looked his brother in the eye and said, "I was worried about you. Something was wrong with you yesterday and then last night you were making these noises and talking to somebody named Tobias. I was worried about it being the schizophrenia so I slept here to keep an eye on you."

Reid hung his head, the last thing he wanted was for Evan to worry and lose sleep over him. "It's not schizophrenia," he told his brother reassuringly.

"Then what is it?"

"It's the result of something that happened to me on a case. I'll tell you more about it when we get home. I was hoping not to have to tell you at all but I'd rather tell you than have you worry."

A look of total relief washed over Evan's face after Spencer told him there was a logical reason for what he had seen. He knew he could handle whatever it was; Spencer had no cause to worry about that, Evan thought. He touched his brother on the shoulder, "You're okay, really."

"Yes, I'm okay. As I said, I'll explain it back at home, just know, these things may happen from time to time until my issues are satisfactorily resolved."

They could hear their fellow campers beginning to stir outside the tent. "Well, should we wake up Manny and get a start on our day," Reid invited, smiling his radiant smile encouragingly at Evan. Evan smiled back and nodded, getting up and heading over to rouse Manny.

Some of the campers, it appeared had been up earlier. Lyle and a couple of the boys had gone down to the shore to fish and had been lucky enough to come back with some catfish and bass, which were now in a pan on the grate over the fire pit. At first Reid was concerned. The aroma of cooking fish was immediately nauseating to him now but being cooked out here the smell was not confined and was almost negated by all the natural smells around him. At least that's what he told himself when he had no reaction, although he refused to partake of the fish. Why tempt fate, he thought. He settled for some coffee and a couple of cereal bars they'd packed in their rations.

Lyle had planned another hike for the group and this time they all went. Reid tried hard to concentrate on the hike and what his companions were doing and not think about the sound of the leaves or the feeling of the earth beneath his feet. Lyle was naming the trees, most of which were predominantly ash. They were green ash Reid explained, "Fraximus pennsylvanica as opposed to white ash, Fraximus americana," when a large bird dove down from overhead.

"That's a red tailed hawk," Lyle supplied for the boys.

"Bateo jamaicenis," Reid said, giving the boys the bird's scientific name. "It's the most common and widespread hawk in North America. They use the raspy cry of this hawk in movies and television all over the world to represent an eagle or hawk. There must be a female around here somewhere because that diving is part of their mating ritual." All the boys except Evan's mouths opened in awe of all that Spencer knew about the subject. Evan simply smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. This was his brother.

Off in the distance there was the chirping of some brown thrashers. Lyle identified them for the boys who turned to look expectantly at Spencer. "Oh," he said, "Toxostoma rufum, part of the mockingbird family. They are able to call in up to three thousand distinct songs."

The hike continued with Lyle pointing out things of interest to the boys and Spencer giving some obscure fact about the object be it an animal, tree, plant or bird. Wayne Dressler whispered to Les Hollister, "Is there anything he doesn't know?"

Evan who was standing beside them at the time smiled and whispered to no one in particular, "Not much!"

On the return to camp Lyle said they needed more firewood and Evan jumped up saying he and Manny would go. Reid said he would go with them but Evan said he thought he and Manny could handle it. Lyle reminded them about laying a trail for themselves and to make sure they had their whistles in case they needed help. The boys said they understood and headed off to gather the wood. Manny made a left turn but Evan stayed him with a hand on his arm, "Spencer and I went that way yesterday, we probably picked a lot of the stuff from there. Let's go this way instead," he indicated an area off to the right. Manny was agreeable and the boys turned right and began to gather kindling.

Manny was picking up some fallen branches when he heard Evan call out quietly, "Manny come here, quick." Manny turned and ran to Evan, who was standing by a tree looking into a clearing. Expecting to see a baby deer, Manny gasped when he saw what Evan was looking at. Evan said, "Manny, run back to the camp and get Spencer."


	13. Chapter 13

**Denegación: **Yo no poseo las Mentes Criminales, (Spanish for I do not own Criminal Minds) Thought I'd try something different than the usual disclaimer.

A/N: There is a little Spanish in this chapter again. I apologize for any mistakes.

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Lyle was trying to teach Peter and Devon the calls of some of the birds they'd seen on their hike, when there was the sound of a loud whistle and the group heard Manny yelling, "Senor Spencer, Senor Spencer," as he came running into camp.

Reid rushed over to the boy, "Manny, what's wrong, where's Evan?"

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Evan came closer and bent down to look at the woman lying on the ground. He knew she was dead. There wasn't any blood that he could see. He thought he heard a noise and stood up and glanced around but didn't see anybody. He hoped Spencer came soon. This was creepy.

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"In a clearing in the woods, you have to come, hay un cadáver en el bosque," Manny excitedly reverted to his native tongue. "Venga rapidamente, venga rápidamente."

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He looked back at the clearing. Who was that kid? He'd just gotten out of there in time, a few seconds longer and he might have been caught dumping the body. Now the question was, who was that kid and more importantly, what or how much had he seen. He didn't think he'd been seen, but then he saw the kid looking around so maybe he had seen something. He opened his backpack, took out his binoculars and looked toward the clearing, until the binoculars were trained on the boy.

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Reid looked at Juan, "Did he say there was a dead body in the forest?" Juan nodded as did Manny.

"Si, venga rapidamente, come quick. Evan found a dead person, a lady; he said to go get Spencer."

"Show me Manny." Manny led Spencer, with the others following behind, everyone eager to see what Evan had found.

As they neared the clearing, Manny said, "It's just over here." They walked a few more feet and Reid saw Evan in a clearing, standing beside a dead woman. Reid hurried over to him.

"Evan, what happened here," Reid asked, in a matter of fact manner.

"We were just gathering wood and I came to this clearing and she was just lying there. She's dead, right?"

"Yeah," Reid sighed, looking into the woman's open but unseeing eyes, noting the petichiae on the scleras, and concluding she had died of strangulation. "She's dead all right. Are you okay?" He touched his brother's shoulder. Evan nodded. "Evan did you touch the body or anything?"

"No! Why would I want to touch it?" The boy looked repulsed.

"Okay, I just had to check. I want you to go back to the others." He nudged Evan in the direction of the group.

"Aren't you coming?"

"No, I have things I have to do."

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Now, who are these people? They seem to be a rather large group composed of men and boys. They're all standing around except for one guy. He seems to be looking pretty closely at the body and touching it. Who is this guy? Now he's walking all around the area. He seems to be looking around. Now he's reaching in the back of his pants. He's got a gun! Oh oh, cop. Yeah gotta be a cop, he's holding that gun in that two handed grip they all use. He's looking all around the area again. "Hee hee, catch me if you can Mr. Cop." The man didn't concern him, but he was still worried about the boy. How much had he seen? He had to find out about the boy.

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Reid took out the pad and pen he always carried even on a camping trip. He was writing on the paper, then he returned to the group. "Nathan and Jim, I want you two to go to the vehicles and drive one until you're in cell range. Call 911, tell them we have a homicide victim in Cedarville State Forest, Caucasian female, approximately twenty-eight. Cause of death appears to be ligature strangulation. Death was recent and did not occur here. The body is still relatively warm with no insect or animal activity. Tell them a federal officer, Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid is on the scene and will remain with the body until law enforcement, CSI and the coroner arrive. Once you do that, drive back to where the vehicles are and wait for them so you can show them where the body is."

"Lyle," Reid continued, "Take the rest of the group back to the campsite and stay there. Law enforcement may have questions. We also don't know where this guy is so don't let any of the boys out of your sight."

"What are you going to do Spencer," Evan asked, concern evident in his voice. He didn't like the thought of his brother being unwell and possibly in danger.

"I'm going to stay here and guard the body."

"Can I stay with you," Evan asked.

"No, you can't, you go back to the camp with the others."

"But Spencer," Evan whined.

"Evan," Spencer spoke more sharply than usual. "You go back to camp. This is not a game. A woman is dead and because I am the law enforcement officer here, I am in charge and this is the way I want it, now go with the others."

Nathan and Jim went off to follow Reid's instructions while Lyle and the rest of the group headed back to the campsite. Evan's face wore a distinct pout; he wanted to stay with Spencer. Why did Spencer always want to keep him away from anything related to his work, Evan wondered? No matter how many times he asked, Spencer would never give any details. He'd only say they went to this city or that city and that they caught the unsub. Evan figured his brother must do some really neat stuff, so why wouldn't he tell him about it? Then, he thought, Spencer had been quite sharp with him. His brother never spoke to him in that tone. It was almost like, Evan pondered, in a split second, Spencer became "FBI Man" and no longer just his big brother.

Everyone's mood was much more subdued when they arrived back at the camp. The boys were no longer interested in learning bird calls and, if truth be told, Lyle no longer had the desire to teach them. They all sat rather quietly waiting for the law enforcement officials to arrive. Wayne remarked, "It's a good thing we had Spencer there; he knew just what to do."

Michael said, "I kinda wish he was here instead of up there with the dead lady. He's the one with the gun if that guy comes back."

"Oh, he won't come back here, he's probably long gone," Les responded.

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So the cop gave two guys a note and they took off, probably to notify the authorities. The other guys and the kids left but the cop's staying behind. He seems to be going over the body pretty thoroughly. Looks like he knows what he's doing; obviously not a traffic cop. The kid will likely be surrounded by the others, no way to get to him. He needed to find out what the kid saw.

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Reid was examining the body, expensively dressed, long dark hair, flawless makeup, very beautiful. Reid noted the thin line around her neck, probably from the ligature. She was devoid of jewelry except for a pair of small diamond earrings and a delicate ankle bracelet. The flies were starting to arrive; he saw a few had landed on her body. He made no attempt to shoo them away. Nature was taking its course. The flies were doing the job for which they were created. The CSIs wouldn't mind. The flies would tell them a more accurate story than he could. There was no identification on the woman. Perhaps her fingerprints would be on file. In the DC area, so many were. If not, missing persons, she apparently cared for herself which often meant others cared for her as well. She would surely be missed. He could hear some noise in the distance. People were coming; heavy footsteps, the crackling of leaves and the snapping of branches announced them long before they could be seen.

Four men soon arrived at the clearing with Nathan who immediately left to return to camp. The first introduced himself as Bryce Rycroft of Maryland Sheriff's Department. The others were Mel Freeman, the CSI, Gord Thomas, another member of the Sheriff's Department and Mark Crest, the ME. Reid flashed his badge and relayed the facts as he knew them. The ME and the CSI concentrated on the body. Reid informed them he had checked the immediate area. Rycroft asked where the boy who found the body was. Reid explained that he had sent them back to camp. "I didn't think the boys needed to be subjected to this."

When the men had finished with the body, they loaded it on a stretcher they had brought to carry it to their vehicle. Rycroft said, "I'll talk to that boy now."

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He followed them with his binoculars. They would lead him to the boy.


	14. Chapter 14

Bryce Rycroft accompanied Reid to the campsite while the others carried on with the removal of the body. The group at the campsite became attentive when Reid arrived back at camp with another man. Reid said, "Evan, this is Deputy Rycroft from the Sheriff's Department. He needs to talk to you because you found the body."

"Okay," Evan said.

Rycroft went to a far corner near some stumps and sat down on one, "How bout we talk here, son?" Evan came over to the area followed by Reid. "I'd like to talk to the boy alone," Rycroft added.

"Well, you're not going to. I'm going to be with him," Reid stated.

"There's really no need," Rycroft retorted.

"I think there is. He's a minor and has the right not to be questioned alone without an adult present. I'll stay with him. If you have a problem with that, fine. Take it up with your superior and I'll take it up with mine, who also happens to be an attorney."

"There'll be no need for that. You can stay." He turned to Evan, "Your name is Evan, correct."

Evan nodded, "Yeah, Evan Reid."

"You were the one to find the body?"

"Yeah, me and Manny were collecting wood for the fire, and I looked in the clearing and there she was, just lying there," he hung his head, "Dead."

"What did you do then?"

"I called Manny to come over and then I told him to go get Spencer because my brother's an FBI agent and he would know what to do. So Manny," he gestured to his friend, "Went to get Spencer and I stayed there with that lady."

"Did you touch the body at all?"

"What is it with you guys! Spencer asked me the same thing. No. I didn't touch the body! Then everybody came and Spencer took over because he does that kind of thing, you know, catches serial killers and everything. Then Spencer made us come back here and he sent Mr. Jackson and Mr. Forbes to call the police."

"Okay son, this is very important. Did you see anything when you were standing there with the body?"

"No, I thought I heard a noise but I looked around and didn't see anything."

"Are you sure about that, think carefully?"

"What, do you think I'm lying, do you think if I saw who killed that lady, I wouldn't tell you?"

"No, I'm not suggesting that at all." He looked at Spencer with an expression that said, help me out here.

Reid crouched down in front of Evan, who was sitting on a stump. "What Deputy Rycroft means is that people sometimes see things they don't realize they've seen. Sometimes people will think they haven't seen anything and then they'll sit bolt upright in the middle of the night remembering something they didn't even know they'd seen. At other times something ordinary will jog your subconscious mind and you'll suddenly remember what you saw."

"I can't remember seeing anything but if I do remember, you know I'll tell you Spencer. I always tell you everything."

Reid nodded and asked Rycroft, "Do you have anything else?"

"No," Rycroft sighed. "I just need a number where I can get in touch with him if I need to."

Reid took out his FBI identification and removed a card, handing it to Rycroft. "Here's my card, if you need to talk to Evan again, call me and I'll arrange it."

Rycroft smirked to himself; this guy was just not going to give an inch where the kid was concerned.

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The deputy was talking to the boy. He wished he knew what was being said but he couldn't find that out right now. Instead he'd followed the others at a distance as they removed the body. There he saw what he needed to see, the vehicles the campers came in. He'd go back, get his car and then bide his time until they left and he'd find out where the kid lived.

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After the deputy left, Reid said to Evan, "Are you okay? Finding a dead body is not the easiest thing in the world."

"Yeah, I'm okay, it felt kinda creepy when Manny left and I was there by myself but don't tell anybody I said that."

"No, of course not," Reid nodded, understanding the boy's need to have others not see he had been afraid. Reid acknowledged internally how often he felt that need himself.

Reid and Evan returned to the group, who were all much less interested in camping than they had been prior to the morning's events, although the boys were eager to talk about the dead body that Evan had found. It seemed to spark a fascination with dead bodies in general. They asked Spencer to describe some of the most interesting ones he'd seen. Reid did not like where this conversation was headed especially since he made such an effort not to discuss the gruesome things he saw with Evan, although his brother always wanted to know about what he did.

Reid could see the fathers understood his reluctance to talk about what he saw on the job. He had no wish to pass on his nightmares and insomnia to someone else. After all that's why he did what he did, he told himself. He hunted these monsters, got inside their heads, chased them to their lairs and faced them so that people like the men and boys sitting around the campfire with him would never have to.

The boys were disappointed at Reid's refusal to talk about the things he saw but Reid had to laugh when Evan informed them that they wouldn't get him to change his mind. He assured them all, he had tried. But, Evan added, there was one thing his brother had shared with him that happened on the job. He'd kissed Lila Archer, the actress, when he was protecting her from a stalker.

Reid was no longer laughing, he was mortified. Not only had Evan shared this tidbit with his friends but their fathers as well, all while Reid was sitting right there. Reid didn't know where to look. He was going to kill Evan, he vowed. The boys were impressed that Evan's brother, the FBI agent, actually kissed the hot actress. The other men were smirking slightly, not only because Reid got to do something they all secretly wished they could, but also because they were glad he was in the hot seat instead of them.

Reid wondered what they all must think of him, first he takes off running when asked to dig a fire pit and now Evan makes it sound like he's making out when he's supposed to be working. He looked down at the ground wishing it would suddenly open and swallow him up or a lightning bolt would suddenly strike him, anything to get him out of this situation.

Evan looked at Spencer and could tell he was not pleased. He hadn't meant to do anything to hurt his brother or make him mad. Didn't Spencer know how proud he was of him? Didn't he understand that Evan wanted the whole world to know what a great guy he was?

"Uh, I…I should probably go and write up a report on what happened this morning while it's still fresh in my mind." He stood and went over by a tree and sat down taking the pen and pad from his pocket and started writing a report.

A little while later Evan approached him. "Hi, done your report yet," he said tentatively.

"Yes, just about," Reid replied crossly.

"Are you mad at me," Evan asked?

"Yes, but I'll get over it."

"Why, because I told the guys about Lila?"

"I asked you not to do that."

"I know, and I really didn't mean to it's just that all of a sudden it just came out."

At that moment Nathan yelled over to Reid, "Hey Spencer, Lyle and Juan are going on a hike with the boys to the Zekiah Swamp. The rest of us are having a friendly game of poker, are you in."

"Yeah, okay, I'll play." Reid stood and headed over to where the men had the deck of cards.

Evan figured Spencer was still mad at him but he couldn't do anything about it till he got back from the hike. "Well, uh good luck," Evan said and went to join the others.

The first game went to Wayne after Reid made a bonehead play. The next two were won by Jim and Les with Reid folding early. After the third game Reid decided to make his move, winning the next two hands and causing the fathers to lament at the change in his luck. The boys had now returned and came to sit by their fathers interested in the outcomes of the games. The next two games went to Spencer as well and he was quickly relieving the other men of their money. After the last game Nathan Jackson leaned against a tree and laughed heartily, leading the others to wonder what he found so funny. "I'm amused at Spencer's so called reversal of fortune, when there's actually no reversal at all." He looked at Spencer, "I suspect that you lost those first three games on purpose. Gentlemen, I do believe we've been had. Where did you learn to play like that?"

"Just a few things I picked up in the old hometown growing up."

"Where's that," Wayne asked?

"Vegas." Reid smiled as he pocketed his winnings.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing, (sniff, sniff)

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Late afternoon and the time to close up camp had arrived. Lyle made sure the fire was out and said it was time to refill the pit. Reid got the bucket and the shovel, determined to conquer that fire pit if it killed him. Refilling the hole wasn't as traumatic as digging it and Reid managed to get through it without, he felt, any outward signs of anxiety.

The other men were dismantling the tents. The boys were rolling up the sleeping bags, packing their gear and toting it all to the vehicles for the journey home. Once everything was loaded, Manny and Juan once again got into the SUV with Reid and Evan. They both noticed that the brothers were much quieter than usual. Juan suspected that Spencer was still angry with his younger brother for informing the group about his actions toward the pretty actress. Juan could hardly blame him for this.

When all the vehicles were loaded up the caravan started its way back to Washington, with Lyle's vehicle in the lead and the three others following. No one noticed when a grey Lexus joined the procession.

Juan took the opportunity to congratulate Spencer on his coup in the poker game. Spencer explained that he did have a bit of an advantage. He reminded Juan that it was his job to study human behavior and that he was an expert in analyzing body language and things like that. He admitted he had indeed lost the first three games on purpose so he could study his opponents' body language and recognize their tells. Once those pieces of information were stored in his mind, he was easily able to outwit the other players.

They drove back to the school where the others had left their vehicles except for Jim and Michael. Jim's wife Tracy was picking them up. The gray Lexus remained unnoticed on the street while Reid and Juan transferred the Castillo's gear to their car. Juan told Reid it was very nice to finally meet the man Evan talks about all the time. Reid agreed it was nice to meet him too and he hoped they'd see each other again soon. Reid had just turned toward his vehicle when Nathan approached him, his hand extended. "Spencer, very nice meeting you," Reid shook Nathan's hand, smiling. Nathan moved in closer to Reid and whispered, "Don't feel bad, if any of us had been a young man in your position, we'd have kissed her too." He pulled back and spoke again, this time in a normal voice, " I have a game with some guys on the hill every few weeks or so. I'd like you to come sometime. I'd love to see you in action again."

"Thanks Nathan, if I'm not away on a case, I might take you up on that."

Evan and Reid said good bye to the others, got in the SUV and headed for Lakeview Lane. The Lexus continued to follow at a distance.

Evan broke the silence. "Are you still mad at me? I didn't mean to do anything to hurt you or make you mad. I'm sorry, okay!"

Reid glanced at his young brother, noting the boy looked close to tears. "Evan I asked you not to say anything and you did anyway. You asked me not to tell anyone you were scared when you were with the dead body and I didn't. I kept your confidence. I expected the same from you.

"I know, all right, I know, I was wrong," Evan was yelling now. "It just came out, okay. I…I'm just so proud of you and everything you do is so great and I just want to tell everybody about my brother, how super you are."

Reid pulled the SUV over to the curb and parked. The man in the Lexus was taken by surprise but managed to remain unseen by Reid or Evan, he hoped.

"Evan, I'm not super, I'm not this great guy you seem to think I am." Reid hung his head, looking at his hands on the steering wheel. "I've been through some things in my job that I haven't handled too well and believe me, you would not be proud." He glanced over at Evan to see the boy looking at him intently.

"What kind of things? Is this what you were talking about in the tent?"

Reid nodded, again looking at his hands. Evan turned in his seat to face Reid. "You said you would tell me about it."

Reid nodded again. "I'll take you to my place."

After what seemed to Evan like an endless drive, they arrived at Reid's apartment building. Reid got his things out of the back of the SUV and they headed into the building.

"Damn," the Lexus driver cursed. They were going into an apartment building. How would he know which apartment when he didn't know their names? He couldn't walk in there behind them in case the kid had seen him and recognized him. How was he going to…? Oh, of course, Gail. He pulled out his cell and punched in a number. "Hi babe, I know, I know but I've been busy. You know what the boss is like. Listen, can you do me a favor, there's been a car around a lot, seems maybe the boss is being followed. Can you run a plate for me?" He gave the license number and waited… "Okay, let me write that down, last name Reid, first name Spencer, Black Ford Explorer, yeah, that's the vehicle all right, lives in apartment 215 - 2300 Braecrest Drive. Thanks doll, yeah I'll call you soon." So the cop lives here but not the kid. The guy wasn't old enough to be the kid's father. He'd have to wait until he took the boy home. These two were really starting to piss him off.

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Reid and Evan entered Reid's apartment. He checked his messages, nothing from work, no case, good. Evan sat on the couch and looked at him waiting for him to tell his story. Reid paced back and forth in his living room saying nothing. Evan watched him, his head moving from side to side each time his brother passed him yet again. For some reason Evan knew he shouldn't push. Finally Reid came over to the couch and sat down on the coffee table in front of Evan.

He hung his head. "We were in Georgia. I was kidnapped by an unsub with three personalities. He was this guy named Tobias Hankel. His other personalities were his father Charles, who was a brutal religious freak and an archangel named Raphael who killed people he thought were guilty of some sin. He had me in a little shack in a cemetery. I was handcuffed and strapped to a chair. I was, uh…beaten and…uh…uh this guy, Tobias kept injecting me with drugs. In his mind, he was helping me escape the torture of the kidnapping but all it did was make me crave the drugs." Evan's eyes grew larger with every new detail of his brother's ordeal.

Reid told him everything he thought the boy could handle, leading up to his killing Tobias and taking the drugs from his body. Reid related his subsequent, although short lived, drug use, before seeking help. He also told him about the PTSD, the nightmares, the insomnia and the difficulty with things that prompted him to relive the experience. "That's why I went running off when I was supposed to dig the fire pit. When I held that shovel, I was back in that cemetery digging my own grave. I… I just lost it, I guess."

"So, anyway, that's the whole sorry mess. Now do you understand that I'm not this great guy you keep telling everyone about? I'm a recovering drug addict and a bundle of nerves and I can't even go on a camping trip with you without having flashbacks and running to hide. I don't deserve this…this…this pride you seem to have in me. I don't…" Evan jumped up before Spencer was finished speaking, wrapping his arms around his brother's shoulders and resting his cheek on Reid's head.

Evan's lips were quivering and tears were starting to fall. "Remember when you told me the leukemia was sent to me from God as a challenge, and if I got through it, I'd come out a stronger and better person. This was your challenge, wasn't it, the one you mentioned?" Reid nodded his head. "And you got through it. That means you're stronger and better than you were before, just like you said I was when I beat the leukemia. And if you think that I'm not gonna love you as much or not be proud of you anymore," he softly kissed the hair on top of Spencer's head. "Like Mom says to me all the time, you've got another think coming, buster."


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** Still do not own Criminal Minds

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The cop and the boy were coming out of the building. Finally! He thought they would never leave. This kid was really starting to bug him. Not that he hated kids, generally he got on pretty well with them but he'd never had to possibly neutralize one before. He didn't want to hurt the kid, he really didn't, he told himself. But if it looked like the kid was going to be any kind of problem for him or his boss, then he would have no choice but to act. This guy being a cop didn't help either. He'd be more apt to notice something or the kid might be willing to talk to him about it more than he would to a mailman or some other benign occupation. Once again he started to tail the black SUV. He'd have to be more careful now. It was dark out and his lights would make him more noticeable.

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Reid and Evan got in the SUV and started, once again, to head for Lakeview Lane. "That's why you didn't want to go camping when I first asked you, wasn't it; because you thought some things might make your PTSD act up. Why did you agree then? It was because of me wasn't it? You did this for me didn't you?" Evan hung his head.

"It's not your fault, you had no idea. It was partly for you but mostly for me. I feel if I keep facing these things, I'll conquer them. I keep telling myself, I'll be damned if I'm going to let this beat me. I don't want it to define my life. Does that make sense?"

Evan nodded. He hoped his brother was telling the truth and not just trying to make him feel better. "You're not still mad at me are you?"

"No, however, when someone tells you something personal, it's not always wise to go blabbing it all over the place." He paused for a few moments, then continued. "I'm not trying to lecture you or anything but something happened to the members of my team a couple of years ago, that might have been avoided if I'd kept some things to myself."

"What are you talking about? Did you blab something about someone on your team?"

Reid didn't answer immediately, then he said, "In a way I did and what happened after that, caused a chain of events that changed the life of at least one member of the team forever." Reid related the facts of the Randall Garner case and the fact that Garner had gotten his information about the team from Reid's mother at the sanitarium. He told Evan how the search for Rebecca Garner had culminated in Elle being shot and never totally recovering and eventually leaving the bureau. "I was just telling my mom some interesting things about the people I am close to. I never dreamed that it would fall into the wrong hands and cause some crazed mind to play some sick games with my team."

The next words that came out of his mouth were full of derision. "It makes me laugh sometimes. I talked to Elle before she left. I asked her to talk about what happened to her. So she did; she told me about how she felt when Garner touched her after he shot her and that she still felt it at times. You know what I said, what this genius psychologist said? I said he's dead Elle, you're still here. You won. Well Tobias is dead and I'm still here and I don't feel like I won anything."

"That's why I'm fighting so hard to get back to where I was. I don't want what happened to Elle to happen to me. I don't want to not be able to get past this thing. I'm sorry if I was hard on you. It just hurts so much to think my actions caused those events to happen. No one ever blamed me, they wouldn't, that's how they are. I don't ever want you to feel that kind of pain."

Evan looked at Spencer, quietly maneuvering his vehicle through the Washington streets. He'd had no idea of the burdens his brother carried. He had thought since Spencer was a good looking genius FBI agent, the youngest ever, that life was somehow easy for him. He had always thought that he was the one with the hard life since he had waged a battle with leukemia and won. Now he realized that Spencer had fought a battle almost every day he lived. As a child he had fought to get by in a school system that was just not prepared for someone like him. He fought to survive without the nurturing of a mother or father and to care for a mother plagued with mental illness. He fought to be accepted by a world that misunderstood his genius. And now he fought to overcome this horrible thing that had happened to him when he was simply trying to do his job. Evan loved his brother and if anyone had asked him this morning, he would have said he couldn't love Spencer any more than he did, but now, knowing what he knew, he not only loved his brother more than ever but respected him more than he ever thought possible.

They pulled up to the front of the house. Spencer and Evan got out retrieving Evan's gear from the back of the vehicle. Janice saw them coming and opened the door for them, hugging Evan close much to his dismay. "Mom!"

"Okay, okay, how was the camping trip?"

"It was great!"

"That's all you've got to say."

"Evan, you better tell Janice what happened."

Janice's face clouded over as she looked from one to the other, "What happened?"

Evan looked at Reid and then gestured to him, Reid said, "Evan found the body of a dead woman in a clearing in the forest."

"What! What had happened to her?"

"She'd been strangled and dumped there."

"Evan, honey, are you all right?"

Evan rolled his eyes, "Of course mom, I'm fine."

"So what happened?"

"This deputy guy came and asked me a bunch of questions since I found the body. Don't worry; Spencer wouldn't let the guy talk to me alone. He told the guy if there was some problem with that, the deputy could talk to Hotch who's also an attorney. The guy said Spencer could stay. Then at the end he told Spencer he needed my number in case he needed to talk to me again and Spencer gave the guy his card and told him to call Spencer and he'd arrange it." Evan started to laugh, "That guy shouldn't have tried to mess with my brother," he added, looking proudly at Reid.

"Well, I'm certainly glad you were there Spencer. Thank you for looking out for him."

"No problem Janice. I better be going." He looked at Evan saying, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay."

Evan nodded, "Thanks for, you know, everything."

Reid nodded, waved good bye to the pair and walked down the steps and out to his SUV.

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Looks like the cop was leaving and it was just the mother and the kid in the house. That would make things easier if he found out he had to tie up some loose ends. He could go home now that he knew where to find the kid if and when he needed to. He started the Lexus and left the quiet tree lined street behind him.

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Evan dumped his gear on his bedroom floor, went to his desk, grabbed his cell, and punched in a phone number.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds

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Reid entered his apartment and his olfactory sensors were immediately assaulted by two scents, both welcome, the aroma of fresh coffee and the fragrance of Alfred Sung perfume. He glanced over to see Allie standing beside the kitchen island. The confusion on his face must have shown. "Evan called me. He thought you could use someone with you tonight," she said by way of explanation. She stepped up to him, and he at once became engulfed in her tender warmth.

"I told him about Georgia," he said when she released him.

"So he said."

"How did he sound? I don't know why I did that. I had an incident at the camp where I was talking to Tobias in my sleep. Evan thought maybe it was signs of schizophrenia. I didn't want him to worry about that so I told him I'd tell him. Then after I did, I thought, what was I thinking? He's thirteen, he's a kid. He just got through dealing with leukemia. He shouldn't have to deal with this."

Allie grabbed hold of his shoulders. "Hey, stop right there. Quit blaming yourself. Evan can handle this. He wants to be there for you, don't you know that. He loves you and he thinks he owes his life to you. He wants to give back. Let him."

Reid started pacing his living room for the second time that day. "No," he said adamantly. "He shouldn't be burdened with this. He's a kid, for God's sake, and he's spent most of his life sick. Now he's finally healthy; he should be out doing things with his friends. He should be riding his bike or going to the mall or playing baseball and soccer or discovering girls or getting up the nerve to kiss Bethany." He stopped dead, looking Allie in the eye. "What he shouldn't be doing is worrying about me."

"Honey, it's his choice. He knows he wouldn't be able to do any of the things you just mentioned if not for you. He might be dead now or very close to it. He's not you, okay, and because some intense things enter his life, it doesn't mean he'll lose his childhood, not like you did. You're not robbing him of a childhood. You're not asking him to be a man. He can still support you in his own way without becoming an adult before his time. Don't take that away from him."

He sat down on the couch, putting his head in his hands. "I've always tried so hard to keep this job away from him. He shouldn't know what I do. He shouldn't know the depravity that's out there, not yet anyway. You should have seen his face when I told him about Georgia, and believe me, I didn't tell him everything. I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head."

"He'll be all right," Allie insisted. "He's tough; he's had to be to get through what he has. He'll handle this fine."

"Wait till he tells Janice. She probably won't want me to see him anymore!"

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Evan was lying quietly in his bed. He knew he needed to sleep, after all he had school in the morning, but sleep just would not come. The things that Spencer had told him kept rolling around in his head. He'd had no idea his brother had gone through anything like that. The kidnapping, the beating and the drugs, it was all so hard to fathom, especially the drugs. Life was so strange, he thought, as he repositioned himself yet again, hoping sleep would overtake him When he was in the hospital, the nurses had given him Dilaudid for the pain from his leukemia. He had never had any problems from it, in fact, it had been one of the things that helped him most when he was suffering. He'd never developed a craving for it. How could something that had been a Godsend to him, be a curse for his brother.

He had thought about talking to his mother about what Spencer had told him but he had gotten Spencer mad at him once already for divulging private stuff, he was never doing that again. He wouldn't have said anything to Allie if he hadn't discovered when he'd called her that she already knew about Georgia. He thought she would be the one to go and be with his brother. He knew if Spencer didn't want to talk about what happened, Allie could distract him in other ways. He knew that they were sleeping together. Why did adults call it that he wondered, laughing to himself. Even he knew that sleeping was not the biggest part of that deal.

Not that they ever did anything but kiss each other when he was there. When he stayed overnight sometimes, he noticed some of her things in the closet and one of Spencer's drawers had her stuff in it. Then there was the bin in the bathroom vanity that was full of stuff that Allie would use. There was even a bottle of her perfume in there. He'd never told Spencer or Allie that he'd noticed any of these things. He was able to keep some things to himself!

He wished there was something he could do to help his brother. Spencer had done so much for him and he loved him so much, he hated to see him in that kind of pain. He wondered why Spencer saw himself as weak. He was the strongest person Evan knew. Why couldn't he see that? Evan wondered if he should…. His breathing slowed and deepened as sleep finally claimed him.

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"What the hell happened? Why haven't I heard from you," the angry voice at the other end of the line demanded.

"Look I took care of her but there was a bit of a snag. A kid found the body literally a couple of minutes after I dumped it. I spent the day finding out where the kid lives in case damage control is needed."

"There better not be any screw ups. You know how important this is for my future… and yours."

"I know, okay. If there's the slightest chance the kid can ID me, I'll take care of him. No way this gets back to you."

"It better not." The call ended abruptly. The man closed his cell and once again started the Lexus. He might as well go home. After a day like today, he could use a stiff drink

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"You seem to have got on well with the other guys anyway, well until you took them all at poker," Allie said after Reid had given her the lowdown on the weekend.

"They probably all think I'm some kind of shirker or a flake, not digging the pit and kissing a girl when I'm supposed to be protecting her."

"So, who cares what they think? They have no idea what you've been through. They don't realize that taking hold of that shovel and filling that pit was a big step for you. Give yourself a break, please. You want more coffee," she said picking up his cup from the coffee table.

"If I have any more coffee, I'll be awake all night, then we'd have to think of something to do to occupy the time."

"Let me get that coffee for you, extra sugar for energy, right!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds

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**Disclaimer: **Do not own Criminal Minds

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The team was flying back from Oklahoma City, where they had managed to apprehend a serial rapist. A loner, who lived at home with his mother and worked under a very aggressive younger woman, was raping women who reminded him of his boss. Seven rapes had occurred before the team was able to put together a profile that led to his capture. Gideon noticed Reid looking very deep in thought and touched his arm. "What's troubling you?"

Reid didn't say anything for a few moments and Gideon waited, knowing the young man would talk to him when he was ready. "I told Evan about Georgia."

"What prompted that?"

Reid paused again. Then cleared his throat, "I had a couple of incidents on the camping trip, one involving the leader asking me to dig a fire pit."

Gideon nodded knowingly, "Oh yes, the shovel would definitely be a trigger to bring back the trauma of Georgia, Tobias, digging your own grave."

"Yeah, I ran off and Evan came looking, only to find me trembling in the woods. I told him I got nauseous but he's a bright boy; he knew something was wrong. Then I had one of my many nights where Tobias invades my dreams and Evan heard me; scared the hell out of him. He thought I was becoming schizophrenic. To avoid him believing that, I told him about Georgia."

"How did he take it?"

"Pretty well, I guess, I mean his eyes were as big as saucers when I told him and I didn't tell him the whole thing. He hugged me afterward and said nothing had changed with us. He seems okay."

"You're a hero to that boy and I think you always will be. You were the big brother he'd never known who came in the nick of time to save his life. He loves you and I don't think anything will change that."

Reid nodded, considering what Gideon was saying. "I was upset after I told him but Allie said he'd be okay. She said it wouldn't take away his childhood and that I should let him support me in his own way. I'm just not sure. What do you think?"

Gideon smiled, saying, "I think Allie is a wise woman." He got up patting Reid's shoulder as he went off to talk to Hotch.

Reid's cell rang as he was getting into his SUV at the airport after the plane had landed. He glanced at the caller ID. "Hi Evan."

"Hi, what are you doing this weekend?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Okay, Mom says I have to get some new clothes because I'm growing out of most of mine. I don't want Mom to come with me but she says I can't go alone so will you come to the mall with me on Saturday so I can get some clothes?"

"Me, I don't have a lot of fashion sense."

"I know that, I've seen what you wear. I don't want you to pick the clothes. I'll pick them myself. I think Mom just wants an adult with me but I don't wanna go with her. Jeez, she doesn't understand that I'm not a little kid anymore!"

Reid sighed, "Okay, I'll pick you up Saturday morning if we…"

"I know, I know, if you don't have a case."

Reid laughed, "Sounds like you've heard that before."

"Oh, like only every time I talk to you. Hey, why don't you bring Allie?"

"Oh, so you think I have no taste but Allie does?"

"She picked you didn't she?"

After he ended the call, Reid buckled his seatbelt, started his vehicle and smiled to himself, "Yeah she did."

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Reid got off the elevator the next morning with Evan in tow. Morgan, seeing Evan, high fived the boy saying, "Hey my man, what are you doing here on a school day?"

"Hi Morgan, well it's not a school day, it's a teachers' in-service day, so I'm here doing research."

Emily walked up to them holding two cups of coffee and handed one to Morgan, "Research, what kind of research?"

"Well, for my civics class, we're studying government branches and we had to pick a branch of government out of a hat and do a presentation on one of the agencies in that branch. I happened to pick justice and so I'm doing my presentation on the FBI."

Garcia and JJ had joined the group during Evan's explanation. "So why didn't you just ask Reid, he probably has every fact related to the FBI stored in that set of encyclopedias called his brain," Garcia suggested.

"Oh I did, but," Evan pointed his thumb at his brother and stressed the next word, "HE said I have to do it myself. What's the advantage of having a genius for a brother if he won't help you with your schoolwork?"

"I never said I wouldn't help you," Reid said in his defense. "And what do you call this? I'm bringing you here to the actual FBI to talk in person with the actual men and women of the bureau. I'd call that help, wouldn't you?" Reid looked around at the others nodding for them to agree with him. No one said anything and just stared at him sternly. "Aw come on, you guys don't seriously expect me to just hand him the information?"

The others burst out laughing and JJ said, "We had you going there, Reid. Hey Evan, if there's anything I can do to help or someone I can get you in to talk to, let me know, okay."

"Yeah, thanks JJ. Spencer already arranged for me to talk to a few people," Reid nodded indicating that he was indeed being helpful to his little brother, "but I'll keep you in mind. I better go, I have to meet Allie. She's going to show me around Questioned Documents and then I have to see," he looked at his paper, "Dr. Lizwiski in forensics. See you later." He waved and headed for the elevator.

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What was happening now, he wondered? He'd been monitoring the boy periodically for the last few days and hadn't seen anything suspicious. The kid had always gone to school as usual. But today, the cop picks him up and takes him, not to the metro police, but to the FBI. What did the FBI have to do with this? Had they identified the body? Had the kid remembered something he'd seen? Were they connecting it to his boss and that's why the cop was taking the kid to the FBI. He had to find out. Everything hinged on that kid. If the kid was talking, he might need to be neutralized.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **Do not own Criminal Minds

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"Dr. Reid," one of the clerical assistants caught up with him in the bullpen. "There's a man on the phone asking to speak to you. His name is Nathan Jackson. He's on line four."

Reid picked up the phone on his desk, pressing line four, "Reid."

"Hi Spencer, Nathan Jackson here, how are you?"

"Hi Nathan, I'm good thanks, and you?"

"I'm well Spencer, listen, I'm having a little game on Friday evening with a few guys from the hill and I wondered if you would like to sit in?"

"Guys from the hill, Nathan, what kind of rollers are we talking about; I'm not a rich man?"

Nathan laughed, "Well, we're not really high rollers. The most anyone ever brings is a thousand. I don't think you have to worry much about losing money. I can't wait to see you read these guys. They'll kill me for inviting you once they find out how good you are."

"Thanks Nathan, so far we don't have a case but if one comes up, of course, I'll have to cancel."

"Understood, why don't you bring your brother, he can spend the evening with Devon. They get on well together."

"I will see if he's available and I'll do that." Allie was going t kill him for sure. Oh well, they'd have Saturday shopping with Evan and they'd have Saturday evening and Sunday together.

Evan found him at the end of the day. He had been around to most of the departments. He had spent some time with Garcia and her children. JJ had introduced him to quite a few people who gave him really great interviews. Gideon even took him to the classroom and he got to sit in on Gideon teaching the new recruits. Morgan had taken him down to the gym where he taught hand to hand. They'd even played around a bit on the mat. Emily had shown him the FBI handbook and he had gotten a wealth of information from it. He had to admit his favorite part was when Hotch took him to the shooting range and showed him how they practiced shooting at targets.

"Did you know that the FBI was started on July 26, 1908 by Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte?" Evan jabbered excitedly. "I learned that in Gideon's class. Did you know the motto of the FBI is Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity and that was introduced in September of 1935 by Drane Lester, editor of the employee magazine, _The Investigator?_ Emily taught me that from the handbook." He continued to babble as they entered the elevator and was still chattering when they reached the SUV.

Reid was so proud of his team. They had taken Evan into their hearts like he was one of their own. He was a little brother to all of them and they had all taken time out of their day to give him some special attention and make his experience at the FBI the best it could be.

When they were in the SUV he told Evan about the invitation to the poker game from Nathan and the request to bring him along. Evan was thrilled. He was always eager to do anything or go anywhere with his brother. "So, are you going to take all those guys' money?"

"I'm going to try," Reid responded cautiously.

"Oh, you'll do it. This is so great. Today I got to come here, Friday I get to go with you to Devon's house and Saturday we're going shopping with Allie. This is probably my best week ever!" Reid couldn't help but smile at the sheer delight on the boy's face.

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The cop was bringing the kid home. The kid had been there all day. He didn't look like it had been a stressful day. He seemed to be talking nonstop and the cop was smiling. What the hell was going on?

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Luckily they had no case on Friday night. Reid picked Evan up with his overnight bag. He was going to stay at Reid's for tomorrow's shopping trip.

Nathan and his wife, Keesha lived in a very nice neighborhood with Devon and his little sister, Brianna who was nine. The houses on the tree lined street were moderately expensive without being ostentatious. Nathan welcomed Reid and Devon was there to greet his friend. Reid was introduced to Keesha, a very beautiful African American woman with long hair styled in cornrow braids. Their daughter Brianna looked like her mother with a similar cornrow hairstyle and was destined to be a heartbreaker.

Nathan led Reid to the games room where four other men were sitting in chairs or standing, talking. "Gentlemen," Nathan said, "I would like you to meet Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid of the FBI." Reid was introduced to the other four men. "This is Brian Lynch; he's the aide to Senator Young from Ohio." The friendly thirtysomething man pumped Reid's hand enthusiastically, smiling. "Next is Merrill Deacon, he's an attorney from Allentown and a clerk to Justice Epstein." The dark haired man with a close cropped beard greeted Reid warmly. Nathan continued, "Avery McLintock, Democratic representative from Wisconsin." The middle aged man with salt and pepper hair nodded briefly at Reid. "And last Daryl Foster, aide to Senator Creasy from Delaware." Foster offered his hand in a firm handshake.

Nathan watched the talented FBI agent, and knew the young man would already have made assessments of his opponents before he sat at the table. Nathan was right. Upon meeting each individual Reid had gone over in his mind how the person or their employers had voted on various issues. As politicians usually surrounded themselves with like minded people, he had a pretty good idea who was conservative and who wasn't. Whether that translated to the poker table remained to be seen.

Senator Young did not take chances. He voted very conservatively and stayed away from hot issues. Brian Lynch would probably fold early, not be a big bettor and would be unlikely to bluff. Justice Epstein had been the swing vote on some rather controversial decisions the court had handed down recently. Merrill Deacon would not play it safe. He would bet aggressively and bluff when he needed to. Reid would have to watch him closely for tells he told himself. McLintock was what one would call a conservative Democrat. He always voted the party line. He was on a number of committees but none involving anything of great public interest. He had only nodded when they were introduced and he gave little of himself away. He would play his cards close to the vest. Senator Creasy was an off the wall kind of guy. He would stray from the party line and vote his conscience when he felt the situation warranted it. He was always good for a sound bite on the nightly news. If Daryl Foster was anything like him, his playing might be a bit erratic. He would also bear close scrutiny.

Reid laid low for the first couple of hands. Avery McLintock had a nerve at his right eye that twitched when he was nervous. Reid wondered if his political opponents realized it. Brian Lynch, as expected, did nothing unless his cards were exceptionally good. Daryl Foster was a very animated player and rather distracting. Reid had a suspicion that Nathan had invited him for just that purpose. Nathan himself was a solid player, aggressive enough but never foolhardy. Reid already knew his tells. Reid bet soundly but not too aggressively in the third hand, he was going to lose to Lynch who he knew had a full house of queens over aces. Reid didn't know whether Nathan realized or only suspected that Reid counted cards.

Reid made his move in the fourth hand. Nathan folded early and sat back to watch Reid. It was like watching an orchestra conductor at work, moving the various players into position and making the moves that made them play the tune the way he wanted.

McLintock was the first to catch on and looked disapprovingly at Nathan, who after losing money enough times to these men had invited a shark to their table. McLintock's mouth erupted into a slow grin. They had all fallen for the boyish good looks of this young FBI agent with those innocent brown eyes and they had been fools.

Reid was winning most of the hands now giving in a few especially when the pots were low. Foster and Deacon had now caught on but Lynch remained in the dark, thinking Agent Reid was one lucky dude.

During a break, Reid got up to go to the bathroom and passed the study where Keesha was talking on the phone, "Don't you think it's been a rather long time, someone should be reporting her missing. Well I don't really care about her public image if she's in trouble we need to find help for her. All right, I'll talk to you tomorrow and if we don't hear anything by then I'm going to the authorities." Keesha hung up the phone and came to the door of the study, noticing Reid for the first time.

"I couldn't help overhearing. Do you have a friend who's missing?"

"Yes, Agent Reid, I think she is missing but no one wants to admit it."

"Who is she?"

"She's a young woman I've worked with on numerous functions. I'm in public relations and event organizing and she's a caterer. Her name is Melanie Masterson and no one has seen her since last weekend."

Reid's suspicions went into high alert. "What does she look like?"

"She's twenty-nine, long dark hair, quite lovely."

"Keesha, may I use your phone, do you have a fax number here?"

Keesha nodded and showed him to the fax machine. Reid picked up the phone and called information for the number of the St. Charles county sheriff's department in Maryland. He waited until the operator gave him the number and he dialed.

A deputy Mitchell answered. Reid identified himself asking to speak to Deputy Rycroft and was told he was off duty. Reid asked the deputy if they had pictures of the body found in Cedarville last weekend on file there and was he correct that no identification had yet been made. Deputy Mitchell responded in the affirmative. Reid asked him to fax a picture to the Jackson's fax number. Deputy Mitchell was reluctant, questioning whether Reid had any standing in the case. Reid reminded him that he was the first officer at the scene and it remained his case until an officer with more jurisdiction or higher rank took over. "Since I am a federal officer, there is no area in which I do not have jurisdiction and an SSA will outrank anyone in a sheriff's department so unless you want to hear from my superior you will fax that picture ASAP."

"Yes sir," the deputy responded, "Right away, sir," and he hung up.

The Jackson's fax machine started to buzz and a picture began to materialize on the paper. When the machine was done, Reid removed the picture and showed it to Keesha, who looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "That's her, that's Melanie Masterson."


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds

**A/N: **Thanks to all who have read and reviewed, you make my day!

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"Did you hear the news," the angry voice asked?

"No, what," the man replied? He'd spent so much time following the kid around, tonight he and the cop went to some house. When they opened the door he recognized a man and kid from the camp. Then they went back to the cop's place. Why couldn't the bloody kid just stay put?

"They think they've identified the body. They didn't release the name pending notification, you know the drill. It was on the late news tonight."

"But how, I left no means for her to be IDed.

"I don't know but she was identified through the FBI. You said that kid was with the FBI the other day and suddenly she's identified. I thought you said the kid didn't know anything." The voice was getting angrier and starting to yell.

"I don't see how he could. I'm sure he didn't see me."

"Well, I don't think you can be sure of anything where that kid is concerned. I think you need to take care of the kid."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. A lot of futures are at stake if that kid talks, yours included."

"I know, okay, I'll do it tomorrow." He closed his cell phone. He didn't mind taking care of the woman, she had gotten herself in that mess but this was a kid. Oh well, what had to be done, had to be done.

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Evan woke up in Reid's room. It had been a kind of strange end to the evening. Spencer had gone to Devon's house to play cards and he and Devon were playing air hockey in the basement. Spencer had been doing really good at poker and was winning quite a bit of money. Then the next thing they knew, the game was over and somehow Spencer had found out who the dead lady in the woods was and he was calling Garcia and getting her to look into a bunch of stuff. Spencer was calling Hotch to let him know the status of the investigation since Spencer had found out who the body was and was technically the SAC. Spencer explained that the SAC was the special agent in charge. That was totally cool Evan thought.

At least Spencer and Allie were still taking him to get new clothes. He jumped out of bed and headed for the living room to find Spencer sleeping soundly on the couch. He turned on the coffeemaker; Spencer loved his coffee. He opened a cupboard door, how did his brother keep everything so neat and well organized, got himself a bowl and some cereal and was eating at the kitchen table when Spencer woke, drawn by the aroma of brewing coffee.

Reid looked at his brother through bleary eyes. Definitely not a morning person, Evan thought. "What time is it?" Reid grunted as he headed for the coffeemaker.

"Ten after nine, you look like a mess."

"Thank you Mr. Ray of Sunshine Reid."

Evan laughed, "What time are we picking up Allie?"

"Ten thirty."

"Will you have to go into work today because you found out who that lady was?"

Reid pondered this for a moment as he poured coffee in his cup and added a generous helping of sugar. "I don't know, I have to try and find out who'd want her dead so I'll probably go in for a little while but don't worry, we'll get you your new clothes. It wouldn't do to have you running around in last year's styles."

"No, brother of mine, I leave that up to you, though with you it's not last year, but last century!" He laughed as he headed for the shower.

Reid put on a fake laugh. Were his clothes really that bad, he thought to himself.

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They were in the third clothing store that morning and Reid was realizing that putting Allie and Evan together to pick out clothes was not a quick way to get through the ordeal. Evan, it appeared, much to Reid's chagrin, did not mind trying on clothes and Allie had a knack for finding just one more thing for him to try on. He was just coming out of the change room in a khaki jersey and a pair of camouflage cargo pants. Allie was impressed with the look. After the second store, she'd stopped asking Spencer what he thought. She'd discovered anything looked fine to him.

"You should get some pants like this Spencer," Evan innocently introduced the idea of Reid buying some new clothes.

"We're here for you, remember."

"But honey," Allie chimed in, "There's no reason you couldn't get some things yourself. Those pants would make you look less skinny and well, you did win all that money last night."

Evan disappeared into another section and came back with some pants in Reid's size. "Here Spencer, try these on."

Reid looked from one to the other, sensing a conspiracy but figured he would get out of there faster if he played along. He grabbed the pants from his brother and entered the change room. When the door closed Evan and Allie looked at one another, smiled and gave each other the thumbs up. Reid put on the pants and a jersey that had somehow suddenly appeared over the change room door. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, surprised that the clothes looked good on him and did make him look less skinny.

"Well," Allie said from outside the change room.

"Yeah, they fit," Reid replied nonchalantly.

"Well, let's see," Allie insisted.

Reid opened the door of the change room and Allie's face lit up when she saw him in the ensemble. "Oh, wow, you are one gorgeous man, isn't he Evan," She turned to Spencer's brother for confirmation.

"I don't know about gorgeous, but he does look good."

The look on Allie's face was enough for Reid; he said he would take the clothes. Allie talked him into a few pairs in different colors, some tee and polo shirts and a jacket. He walked out of the store wearing the clothes he'd just put on and carrying a couple of bags feeling in some strange way like he'd been ambushed.

He found Allie standing alone outside the store. "Where's Evan?" Allie pointed to an area not far away with some benches and a fountain. Its bubbling water could just be heard over the babble of the shoppers, some bustling and some merely strolling, through the mall. There stood Evan talking to a very pretty girl about his age with long blond hair. A slow grin came to Reid's face as he turned to Allie, "Don't tell me, Bethany?" Allie nodded.

Reid and Allie approached Evan and his friend. Evan said, "Bethany this is my brother Spencer and his girlfriend Allie Graham."

"Hi Bethany," Reid replied, "It's really nice to meet you." Allie nodded in agreement and smiled at the girl.

Bethany looked at Reid like he was Adonis. "H..hi, i..it's nice to meet you, you're the FBI agent?"

"Yeah, that's right, you're in Evan's class at school, he's mentioned you."

Allie did not like where this was going, not that she was jealous of the young girl but Evan had been completely forgotten by her the moment she had laid eyes on Spencer, who, Allie noticed, was totally oblivious to the whole thing. He had absolutely no idea that women found him attractive, even women who were, well, not quite women. This would have to be nipped in the bud or somebody would get hurt. She was about to suggest they carry on when Reid offered, "We should be stopping for lunch about now, would you like to join us Bethany?"

The young girl said yes immediately and Reid suggested a little café in the mall. Bethany quickened her step to walk beside Reid, leaving Allie and Evan to bring up the rear. Allie glanced briefly at Evan and she could see he had noticed the effect his brother had on Bethany and did not like it one bit. They reached the café and found a booth. Allie slid into a seat pulling Spencer roughly in beside her, resting her hand on the table but keeping hold of his in full view of Bethany. Reid was confused at the sudden possessiveness but said nothing.

They ordered their meals then Bethany said, "It must be so exciting being in the FBI."

"Yes, most days it's pretty exciting but not always. Evan could tell you all about that, he was there the other day doing research for his civics class. It was one of the not so exciting days, though Evan got to do some neat stuff." He kept hoping that Evan would start talking to the girl. He'd suggested bringing her here because he knew Evan liked her and thought his brother might appreciate it but Evan didn't appear to be saying anything. Although, Reid admitted to himself, he knew all too well how it felt to be tongue tied around a girl. He looked at Evan, trying to get him to say something, he was a chatterbox any other time but Evan looked back at him as if he was angry. What was that about?

The meals arrived and while Reid and Allie were eating Reid noticed that Evan and Bethany only picked at theirs. What was up with that? After lunch Bethany said she had to go, she was meeting a friend. She thanked Reid very much for lunch and hoped to see him again soon. When Bethany was gone Reid said, "She seems like a really nice girl."

Evan sniped, "I hope you two will be very happy." With that he got his bags and left the eatery.

"What was that about?" A confused Reid looked at Allie.

"You have no idea, do you?"

"No, what did I do; suddenly he's mad, I didn't do anything, did I?"

"Sometimes for a genius, you are so dumb. That little girl fell for you the moment she saw you. She was practically drooling. I could see it and so could Evan. He's just upset that the girl he likes is gaga over his brother. I know you didn't do anything but every time you talked to her, she was encouraged. Young girls often get infatuated with older men. If we ever see her again, don't give her any kind of attention. Man you have absolutely no idea regarding your sex appeal, do you?"

"What sex appeal?"

"Aargh! Haven't you ever noticed the girls at Quantico checking you out?" Reid looked baffled. "The girls in clerical, oh yeah; Garcia and JJ may be your good friends but they still look. Emily even looks on occasion."

"No, they don't do that, do they? I know they look at Morgan but not me."

"Oh, you are so hopeless! And you're a behavioral analyst!" Allie sighed heavily. "Let's go find Evan."

They found Evan on one of the benches near the fountain. "Evan, I'm sorry if I did something to upset you. I didn't mean to. I asked Bethany because you like her and I thought you could get to know her better. Oh I don't know, I'm no good at this stuff."

"You looked pretty good at it to me. You have Allie and you had Bethany eating out of your hand in about two seconds flat. We should get going." Evan stood up and started walking down the mall.

"Don't you want to do some more shopping," Reid asked?

"No, I think I got enough, if I need anything else I can come another day with Mom. At least any girls I know won't fall for her."

Reid looked at Allie, who sympathized. He had no idea how attractive he was and he was never one to play games. "Come on let's go. He'll get over it, just give him some time."

When they arrived at the SUV, Evan was still angry. Reid pushed the remote to unlock the doors. Evan yanked the back door open so hard it almost hit the car parked beside them. "Watch it Evan, you don't want to scratch the other car door." Evan looked at the car parked next to Reid's SUV. "Evan, what's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost." Evan shook himself and got into Reid's vehicle. Reid said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just drive okay." What had just happened to him was weird, he thought. He'd gotten this strange feeling when he noticed that car. He must be going bonkers. Why would he get an eerie feeling seeing a car, especially since he didn't even know anyone who drove a grey Lexus?


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds

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Evan entered the house slamming the door behind him. Janice came out of her office saying, "You're home, what was the slamming of the door in aid of mister?"

"Oh nothing, everything's great," the boy said sarcastically, plopping himself on the couch and crossing his arms defiantly.

"Hey hey hey, what's with the attitude? When you left yesterday, you were thrilled about spending time with Spencer, now you look like a bear. What happened?"

"Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid, big time G man, savior of the world, studly boyfriend and as of this morning, fashionable dresser, that's what happened."

"Could you be a bit more specific, I take it you're mad at your brother."

He told his mother about the shopping trip and how he and Allie had convinced Spencer to get some things for himself. Janice nodded; so far this seemed like a good thing. God knew Spencer needed to improve his wardrobe.

"So he comes out of the store wearing the clothes he just bought. I had seen Bethany Cramer and was talking to her when Spencer and Allie came up to us. As soon as Bethany saw Spencer, she never noticed me again. It's like I was nothing. She only wanted to talk to," his voice rose and took on a distinct whine, "Spencer! Of course, he didn't mean to do anything. He's like 'Oh gosh, I was totally unaware I'm a chick magnet,' yeah right."

Janice had to fight hard to suppress laughter as that thought of Spencer popped into her head. Although if she was twenty years younger…Oh my God, she couldn't believe she thought that. He was her stepson!

"Honey, it's not his fault. It's a thing with young girls. They often get a crush on an older man. It makes them feel grown up, like they're not little girls anymore, they're women. Mine was a young apprentice carpenter who worked with my father. I was just a young teenage girl but in my mind I was a young woman and I was in love with that young man. For a couple of weeks that is. There's nothing Spencer could have done to stop it. Bethany will come to her senses eventually. So, show me what you got!"

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The kid had finally come home. There was just him and the mother inside. He really didn't want to have to hurt the mother as well. He needed to think.

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The team was assembled in the round table room discussing the death of Melanie Masterson. Hotch had already been in when Reid showed up to do some research and possibly go on some interviews. Hotch suggested getting the team together to give Reid a hand. "If this case could be concluded, it wouldn't take Reid away from cases assigned to the BAU."

"Melanie Masterson was a very successful caterer to the elite of Washington society." Reid started his presentation of the case. "She was a twenty-nine year old graduate of the Wharton School of Business. She worked under Barry Sparks for a couple of years until he had a stroke last year and then she took over his business. She was well known on the Washington social scene for being able to give the client exactly what they wanted, from a showy bash designed to make the papers to a quiet function for a few people. She was on a first name basis with most of Washington's power brokers and rumor has it she knew where a lot of bodies were buried so to speak."

"That could make her a very dangerous woman in this town," Morgan ventured.

"Obviously she was a danger to someone," Emily agreed.

"Garcia is going over her most recent catering jobs and we'll have to question the people involved. That could add up to quite a few people considering the size of some of the functions she handled," Hotch informed the others.

"I have a meeting this afternoon with Keesha Jackson; she's in public relations and worked with Masterson a lot on planning social events. Maybe she can give me some insight into the woman," Reid stated.

Hotch handed out the team's assignments, "Okay, Morgan and Prentiss, check with Garcia and see if you can find anything in the catering jobs she's done or in her financials. JJ get a hold of your contacts in the media, her functions were probably covered. See what scuttlebutt you can dig up."

"Right," JJ replied, and went to make some phone calls.

Morgan and Prentiss got up to go find Garcia, while Reid was getting his papers put away to go meet with Keesha. "Thanks for the help Hotch. I know it's really not a BAU case, however, since the body was transported across state lines, it does fall within our purview."

"You're right Reid; we're totally within our rights investigating this murder. We'll all meet back here later and compare notes."

At the door, Morgan turned around and said, "By the way Reid, nice threads, you're really stylin today man."

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Janice was quite impressed with all Evan had gotten on his shopping trip. She was glad Allie had gone along to help with choosing her son's clothes.

"Evan, I hadn't expected you to be back until late tonight. I had planned to go to my bridge club since we couldn't meet last night, we agreed to meet tonight. Maybe I should cancel."

"Mom, you don't need to cancel. I'm almost fourteen; I'm definitely old enough to stay by myself. Jeez, I'm not a little kid anymore. When will you understand that?"

"Okay, okay, you're on your own, what will you do for dinner?"

"Well there's always macaroni and cheese or pizza." The boy smiled broadly.

"Oh, you and your pizza. Okay you can have pizza."

"Thanks Mom," Janice was glad to see Evan was smiling again. She hoped he'd forgiven Spencer. They had such a wonderful relationship.

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"Hi Keesha, I hope you don't mind me asking you a few questions about Melanie." Reid was back in the Jackson home, where last evening had started out so nicely and ended so sadly.

"No Spencer, I want to do anything I can to help. I liked Melanie a lot."

"Keesha, do you know of anyone who might want to harm her?"

"Well, we talked a few times about some personal matters. Melanie was seeing a man, he's married. She never told me his name but she said he could be living in the white house one day. I told her I thought this relationship would be nothing but heartbreak for her but she insisted she was in love. Perhaps she got in the way of his political aspirations. You know the public would not look favorably on a presidential candidate having an affair."

"You're sure you have no idea who the man might be. Did she happen to say where she met him?"

"No she didn't. She handled so many high profile affairs that Washington insiders attend; he could have been at any number of her functions."

"Yes, I understand. Thanks for your time. If you think of anything, please call me," he gave Keesha his card. "I'm sorry about your friend."

"Thank you Spencer, please just find who did this."

"I'll do my best." Reid said, as he left the Jackson home and headed back to Quantico to meet with the team.

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Morgan, Emily and JJ were already in the conference room when Reid arrived. Garcia joined them shortly after. Hotch and Gideon were working on another matter.

Morgan said they had looked into Masterson's catering business and she catered everything from birthday bashes to political functions. She was a hot name on the Washington social scene.

Emily added that although she made big money there were no irregularities noted in her finances.

JJ said she had talked to some contacts in the media and stated, "It was well known that Masterson did so well because for a price, she would get the client whatever he wanted. Her party favors were extraordinary, if you know what I mean."

Reid related the substance of his talk with Keesha and if what she said was true, Masterson was sleeping with a presidential hopeful who might be willing to do anything, including murder to keep that quiet.

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The mother had left a short time ago. That meant the kid was alone in the house. The way the kid moved around, this might be his only chance. He got out of the Lexus and headed toward the house, then stopped dead and did a double take. Had he actually seen what he thought he had seen? What the hell was going on?


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but my own characters

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He stood there watching. What the hell. Now this was an interesting development. Obviously he wasn't the only one watching the kid. The guy looked like he was going around to the back of the house. Had his boss gotten impatient and sent somebody else to take care of the boy. He didn't think that was likely. The less people involved, the better. But then why was this guy sneaking around. He had a gun tucked in his waistband too. Was he a kidnapper? No, the mother didn't appear to have big bucks. He followed the progress of the other man until he disappeared from sight around the house. He went back to the Lexus to wait.

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"Garcia, can you go over the guest lists of her latest catering jobs to find any frequent flyers, so to speak? Maybe that could indicate the man she's involved with. It would make sense that he would show up at a lot of her functions." Reid was trying to come up with some means of identifying Melanie Masterson's lover.

"Sure, sweet cheeks, I can do that, no problem. Once I get a few names I can check all her jobs and come up with who attended her events most often. I'll also go through her phone logs and see if there's anyone she called on a regular basis."

"Thanks Garcia," Reid replied.

"Morgan and I thought we would check with her employees and see if they knew anything about anyone she was seeing," Emily offered.

"Good idea Emily."

"I'm going to keep in touch with my contacts in the media, now that the news is going to be out there, there is obviously going to be some backlash, maybe by seeing who's affected we'll get a clue," JJ added.

"I'm going to get in touch with her family, maybe she told one of them about the man she was seeing," Reid said while writing on his notepad.

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Evan was chomping on a deluxe with extra cheese, his favorite, while gyrating around the room to Nine Inch Nails. He did not hear the back door open or the footsteps until a voice said, "Hello Evan."

Evan turned and dropped his pizza slice onto the gleaming hardwood floor. He gasped and backed away from the owner of the voice saying barely above a whisper, "Hi Dad."

"You're looking well; you seem to have improved tremendously, still love pizza I see."

"What are you d.doing here?" Evan uttered timidly.

"What! Can't a father come to see his son? That's why I'm here, to see my son. Well actually both my sons."

"What if we don't want to see you?" Evan responded, his courage returning slowly after the shock of seeing William Reid just four feet in front of him.

"Tough, you'll see me and so will your brother."

"I don't think Spencer wants anything to do with you."

"Like I said, tough, my life was ruined because of that freak and I'm going to take care of him once and for all and you're going to help me."

"No, I'd never help you hurt Spencer, I love him."

William Reid let out a sickly laugh, "Do you now, well isn't that touching. Do you love him more than your mother? I followed her you know. I know where she went. You help me take care of Spencer or I go after your mother, it's that simple, you choose."

"What do you want me to do?" the boy asked resignedly, staring at the gun he could see tucked in his father's pants.

"Call him; tell him you need to see him right away, say you're sick, anything. Just get him here but don't mention I'm here or you'll be very sorry." William touched his weapon. "You got that. It's the only way to get to him. I can't get in that bloody FBI building and they even have cameras in the parking lot. His apartment is secure so I can't get in there. So I needed to turn to you.

"Yeah okay," Even reluctantly pulled out his cell phone and punched in the speed dial for Reid's number.

"Reid," Reid said into his cell.

"Hi Spencer, it's me."

"Hi Evan, listen about before, I'm sorry. I really didn't intend for anything like that to happen."

"Yeah, I know, Mom explained it to me. Do you think you could come over? Mom went out to bridge and I made a big deal about how I'm okay by myself but now I'm here alone, I'm kinda chicken. I thought maybe you could come over. You were going to tell me about the Randall Garner case."

Confusion crossed Reid's face, "The Randall Garner case, I told you all about that the other day, remember."

"Yeah, I know you're busy but you promised you'd tell me about Randall Garner. Could you please come over and tell me about it."

"Evan is something wrong?"

"Yeah, I know I'm stupid to be spooked but you can come over and we can talk about that case, right. It'll be great."

"Okay Evan, I'm coming." Reid ended the call with a strange look on his face.

"What's up Reid, something wrong with Evan?" Morgan looked concerned.

"That was the weirdest call. He was practically begging me to go over there and he kept going on about me telling him about the Randall Garner case. I told him all about that case a while ago."

"Who's Randall Garner," Emily inquired?

"He's this crazy guy who'd been in the same sanitarium as Reid's mom. He sent us a bunch of weird clues to find a girl he was keeping prisoner. He was playing a sick game with us. He murdered a couple of guys. He shot Elle and I don't think she ever really recovered. The girl he was holding was his biological daughter who had been adopted after a fire killed the rest of the family and left Garner badly burned. He ended up blowing himself up right in front of Reid," JJ explained the facts of the case to Emily.

"You mean the man was holding his own daughter prisoner, for what, just to lure you all there?" Emily asked in disbelief!

"Yeah," Morgan replied, "He was a real son of a…"

"Oh my God," Reid jumped out of his seat.

"What, Reid what?" Morgan asked.

"It's Dad, it's got to be. That's what Evan was trying to tell me. Dad is there and for some reason he wants Evan to get me there but he doesn't want me to know so Evan told me the only way he could." The others looked skeptical. "Don't you see; Randall Garner was holding his own child prisoner to lure us there; Dad's holding Evan prisoner to lure me there only Evan couldn't come right out and tell me that so he used the Garner case to warn me."

"What do you think your Dad wants with you," Emily wanted to know?

"I don't know, but I know it isn't good."


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds, no copyright infringement is intended

**A/N: **Thanks to all who continue to read and review.

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Reid ran for the door, almost colliding with Hotch and Gideon, who were just entering the conference room. "Whoa Reid, where's the fire," Hotch demanded.

"I have to go Hotch, Evan's in trouble. My Dad is there and wants me there for some reason. He's probably threatening Evan."

"Okay Reid, hang on a minute. Explain please." Between Reid and the others, the story of the phone call and the reference to Randall Garner was relayed to the older agents. "We'll go with you. You might need backup."

"That was pretty smart of Evan to use the Garner case to get the point across," Gideon remarked.

"He's my brother, after all," Reid replied as he dashed towards the elevator. "Come on let's get going. I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to Evan." Seeing that the elevator was three floors away, he yelled, "I'm taking the stairs," then turned and ran for the door of the stairwell, the rest of the team on his heels.

Reid and Morgan were in Morgan's car. The other four had gotten into Hotch's vehicle. "Come on Morgan, lights and sirens, let's get going." Reid pulled out his cell, "I'm calling DC metro. They may be able to get there before us." He talked on the phone for a few minutes and ended the call, angry. "Wouldn't you know it? They don't know if or when they can get there. Their manpower is stretched to the limit trying to protect the world leaders that are arriving at Dulles this evening for the G8 summit that starts tomorrow. Who cares about my little brother?"

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"Please don't hurt him, I'll do anything. I'll talk to anybody you want. I'll tell them you never hit me. I'll say I just fell. It was all a misunderstanding. They'll understand when I tell them. You don't have to hurt Spencer. It wasn't his fault." Evan paced back and forth in his living room trying to get his father to change his agenda towards Spencer. "It wasn't his fault," he said again, "It was me. I'm the one that went to Quantico; I'm the one who caused all the problems. You should be mad at me, not Spencer."

Evan continued to pace in front of his father. He shouldn't have called Spencer. After all he'd been through, he didn't need this. Maybe he could have warned his mother and they would both have been safe.

_Too late to think of that now, Einstein!_

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Morgan's car sped through the darkening DC streets, lights and sirens on, with Hotch hot on his tail. It seemed to take forever to near the house. Morgan cut the sirens within a few blocks of Lakeview Lane. They stopped near the Reid's bungalow. Reid was starting to run towards the residence only to be stopped by Morgan and Gideon.

Hotch commanded as he was donning his vest, "Morgan, you go to the front door with Reid, but hang back, let Reid go in but make sure you've got his back. Gideon, Prentiss, JJ and I will come through the back. Okay, let's do this."

The group approached the house. Morgan and Reid went up the front steps while the rest of the team headed around back. Evan opened the door looking frightened and anxious. "Hi Evan," Reid said cheerily, "So a little scared to stay by yourself. Don't worry, I won't tell Morgan." He entered the room behind Evan and saw his father come out from the dining room doorway.

"Hello Spencer."

"Dad," Reid said with no attempt to hide his animosity. He could see his father was holding a gun in his right hand.

"Sorry Spencer," Evan's voice quaked. "He said if I didn't call you, he'd go after Mom."

"That's okay Evan. I want you to go outside while Dad and I talk." He pushed his brother in the direction of the door.

"No!" Evan pulled free of Reid's grasp, "I'm not leaving you."

"Evan, it's okay, I'll be all right. I don't want you to get hurt." Reid pleaded with his brother.

"I'm not going anywhere; we're in this together, no matter what."

Reid was getting nowhere with the boy. He turned to his father, pushing Evan behind his back. "So what's the plan here, you're just going to shoot me?"

"You're responsible. It's your fault that I've lost everything in my life. If you'd had your way, I'd be in jail now, you tried but child abuse is only a first degree misdemeanor in Pennsylvania. I only got a fine and some community service. That didn't prevent them from relieving me of my position at the university. Well they didn't fire me, but it was very strongly suggested that I resign if I ever wanted to work in education again. Oh and that lawyer your boss got Janice. Took me to the cleaners but good. I was lucky to get away with the clothes on my back. Of course Erica bolted as soon as it hit the fan."

"So now I've got no job, my house was sold out from under me and I'm picking up garbage on the streets on the weekends, all because of my genius son."

"You know, I don't care what happens to me. It'll be worth going to hell to pay you back for what you've done to me. You've been the bane of my existence since the day you were born."

William Reid raised his right hand pointing his weapon at Spencer. Evan was attempting to get in front of Spencer while Reid was trying to push Evan to the floor. Gunshots rang out.

When the smoke cleared, the three Reids were laying on the living room floor, blood on all of them. Morgan ran to Spencer, "Reid, Reid, are you okay man, talk to me."

"Yeah, Morgan, I'm okay, Evan, Evan, are you okay. Morgan, there's blood on him." Evan sat up; his body had been covered by Spencer's when the gunfire erupted.

"I'm okay, it's not my blood, Spencer, you're shot. Oh my God, Spencer's shot, call an ambulance right away." Reid was bleeding from his abdomen.

"It's okay; I think it's just a flesh wound. I'm okay, how's Dad?"

"He took one in the chest and one in the leg, he's still alive though."

"Ambulances are on the way," JJ reported.

Prentiss entered the room with towels and she and JJ set to work tending to the wounds of the two Reid men until the paramedics got there.

When the ambulances arrived, Evan refused to leave Spencer's side, insisting on riding to the hospital with him, saying to the paramedics, "If he needs any blood, we're the same."

The paramedics said William Reid's condition was critical but that they thought he would make it. Hotch was relieved. He didn't think anyone on the team would want to be responsible for killing their teammate's father.

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Wouldn't you know it? The intruder is shot. The guy who's always with the kid is shot. But the kid is fine. Just my luck. So the guy's not a cop. He's FBI. That put a different spin on things didn't it? Maybe the kid did know something after all. Well he wasn't going to get him now. It's a good thing he heard the sirens and got off that street before they saw his car there. Well, tomorrow's another day. He'd be seeing the kid tomorrow.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds

**A/N: **Enjoy the next few chapters PlatypusTVlover

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To Evan, the ambulance ride seemed to be unending. The paramedics were taking Spencer's vital signs and applying a pressure dressing to the wound. He had heard one paramedic tell the other that it wasn't too serious. Thank God he had his bulletproof vest on. Evan saw he was wearing it underneath the shirt they ripped off him, the new shirt he had bought that morning. Had it only been this morning, Evan pondered. Had it only been this morning that he had gotten mad at Spencer over Bethany? It all seemed so silly sitting here beside his brother, who was bleeding, with a death grip on his hand, while the sirens of this ambulance and the one carrying their father were blaring in his ears.

Their father, he, it appeared, was more seriously injured. Had Dad really wanted to kill Spencer? Evan was glad Spencer had understood his message and brought the team. They had shot Dad before he could kill Spencer. Maybe Dad would die. Did he want Dad to die? No, for some reason, he knew he didn't and he couldn't really understand why. Spencer would know. He knew almost everything.

"You okay," he looked down to see Spencer looking up at him from the stretcher.

"You're the one who got shot, are you okay," Evan replied?

"I'm fine, the bullet just brushed by me, it didn't go in." Reid looked up at the paramedic and gestured for him to tell his brother and reassure the boy. The paramedic told Evan that Reid was right the bullet had not penetrated and he would be good as new in no time. Evan was relieved to hear this but would still not loosen the grip he had on Spencer's hand.

"I'm sorry about before, I shouldn't have got mad at you because Bethany liked you more than me. It was stupid." Tears started in his eyes and he put his head on Reid's chest and his arms around his neck. The paramedic tried to get the boy to move but Reid shook his head at the man. If Evan felt the need to hug him, it was alright with him.

The ambulance arrived at the George Washington Medical Centre. Spencer was taken to a treatment room. The nurse told an anxious Evan he could not accompany Spencer into the treatment room. "No, I have to go with him, he's my brother."

"We'll take really good care of him, I promise, but we need room to work and you have to wait out here. Do you have any other family with you," the nurse asked.

"He's my family, he's my brother, he needs me."

"You can be with him as soon as we're done tending to his wound okay."

Evan hung his head, nodding, "Please take good care of him."

The doors of the emergency room opened admitting the rest of the BAU team. Gideon came over to Evan and put his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Why don't you come over here and wait with us."

"Evan," Hotch asked, "Where's your mother, we should call her and let her know what happened."

"She went to Bridge Club at the Lakeview Community Centre."

"Okay, I'll call her and tell her where you are."

"Thanks Hotch, do you think maybe I should call Allie. She'd probably be really mad if Spencer got hurt and nobody told her."

"Don't worry about it Evan, I'll call Allie as well as your mother." Hotch gave the boy's shoulder a brief squeeze.

There were couches in the waiting room and Gideon led the boy there with the other members of the team. Emily and JJ were sitting on one couch while Morgan was pacing. Gideon took Evan to another couch and sat the boy down beside him. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Evan jumped up. "Do you think they know that Spencer shouldn't have Dilaudid?"

"Yes, Evan, I'm sure Spencer will tell them." Gideon reassured the boy as Hotch returned saying he had gotten in touch with both Janice and Allie and they were on their way.

After what seemed like an eternity, a man with wrinkled blue scrubs hanging on his frame, entered the waiting room. "Who's here for Spencer Reid."

Evan jumped up, "I am, he's my brother. Is he okay; when can I see him? Please let me see him."

"Whoa, slow down there young fella. Your brother is fine. It was just a flesh wound. There was no penetration by the bullet."

"Please let me see him," Evan begged the doctor.

"Follow me." The doctor took Evan to the treatment room where Spencer was laying on a gurney, clad in a hospital gown.

"Hi Evan," Reid greeted his brother, who ran over to his bedside.

"Spencer, are you really okay? I was so worried. They wouldn't let me stay with you and nobody would tell me anything."

"I'm fine, they cleaned the wound and stitched me up and I'll be back to normal in no time."

Evan looked through the window in the treatment room door and smirked at his brother, "Get ready for this," the door opened heralding the arrival of Janice and Allie, who rushed over to Reid's side.

The injured agent was duly kissed by them both and Reid assured the women that he was not badly hurt and would fully recover with barely a scar. They were, to say the least, relieved. Allie remarked, chuckling, after Evan told her about the paramedics ripping Reid's new shirt off, "You'll do anything to stay away from fashion, won't you."

Another doctor in scrubs entered the room and approached Spencer and Evan. "Agent Reid, could I speak to you alone please." Janice, Allie and Evan got up and left the room. "You were asking about the condition of your father. He's just come out of surgery. They've removed the bullet from his chest. He also had a bullet removed from his left leg. It just missed the femoral artery or he could easily have bled out. There was a problem however. When they removed the bullet from his chest, it was very near his heart. The removal of the bullet sent him into cardiac arrest. They performed CPR and had to use the defibrillator but eventually they got his heart restarted. Unfortunately he's in a coma and not breathing on his own. They have put him on mechanical ventilation. We'll have to wait and see if it is reversible and if he'll come around or will remain in a coma. He had no one listed as next of kin and since you and your brother are his sons, I suppose it falls to you two. Since you are the adult Agent Reid, you will be asked to make all medical decisions regarding your father."


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I do not own Criminal Minds.

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Reid stood at the ICU window looking at William Reid lying in the hospital bed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, according to the dictates of the ventilator. There was an endotracheal tube protruding from his mouth, providing means for the respirator to give him the prescribed breaths. An IV was infusing through a pump into his right arm, while blood was infusing through another pump into his left. A large dressing covered his chest, just left of center. There was another similar dressing on his left leg. His chest was also covered with electrodes that sent his heart waves to monitors at the nurses' desk, so someone to whom the peaks and dips of the EKG monitor had meaning, could keep track of his father's cardiac function. A blood pressure cuff encircled his left arm and at preset intervals would record a new reading. The probe of a pulse oximeter could be seen on the index finger of his right hand. A catheter bag hung at the end of the bed, and the nurses kept a watchful eye measuring to the milliliter the amount of urine his father's body was producing. He remained unmoving. The nurses informed Reid that there had been no change. Reid was startled as the ventilator began to squeal loudly. None of the nurses moved so he decided it was nothing to worry too much about.

"Don't be alarmed Dr. Reid," one of the nurses said to him. "It's just an increase in the pressure when your father coughs, he is moved or secretions build up in his lungs that he can't get rid of on his own. Then we have to go in through the ET tube and suction them out."

His father's salt and pepper hair looked grayer all of a sudden and the florid countenance he'd displayed only hours before was a sharp contrast to the pallid complexion of the almost lifeless man Reid saw before him. The usually handsome and vibrant William Reid now resembled a much older man. "Is he having any pain," he asked the nurse?

"With comatose patients, it's often hard to tell. For that reason, we give regular doses of Hydromorphone through his IV. It's a powerful drug, an opiate derivative like Morphine but eight times more potent. It's more commonly known as…"

"Dilaudid," Reid replied. He didn't know whether the irony of this situation made him want to laugh or cry. Should he be angry that his father had put him, albeit unwillingly, in this position? He could see William Reid getting a perverse satisfaction out of this.

He didn't have time to think about any of that now, he decided. He had a killer to catch. "Please let me know if there's any change," he asked the nurse, who nodded as he turned and left the ICU.

He made his way out to the parking lot where the others were waiting for him. "How's he doing," Morgan asked.

"Well considering he's in a coma and only breathing with the aid of a ventilator, not great."

Janice had taken Evan home when Reid had managed to reassure his little brother that he was fine. Reid said he would talk to him in the morning. He would have to talk to him about their father. Reid realized any decisions he made regarding his father would not only affect him, but Evan as well. He'd have to consider the boy's feelings when dealing with William Reid's health issues.

"I have to call Garcia and see if she got anything from the guest list of Masterson's functions."

"Reid," Gideon suggested, "Considering what happened to you today, don't you think this could wait until the morning. Even if Garcia got some names, you're not going to be contacting them tonight. I think you need to go home and rest. Start fresh in the morning."

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Reid arrived home to the sound of running water. He went in the general direction of the sound and met Allie coming out of the bathroom wearing his terrycloth bathrobe. She had her own bathrobe here but somehow she always liked to wear his. "Hi," she said putting her arms around his neck as his arms slid around her body taking in the fragrance of her soap and shampoo.

"Hi," he whispered, before claiming her lips for a long sensual kiss. "I didn't get to talk to you much at the hospital," he said, removing his jacket and then his new shirt which had been badly ripped by the paramedics and would have to be disposed of, revealing the bandage on his abdomen, evidence that he had not come through the evening unscathed. He went into his bedroom, donned a pair of sweats and a tee shirt and joined Allie in the kitchen, where she was pouring steaming coffee into mugs. She set one in front of him, went to the cupboard, retrieved the sugar bowl and set that in front of him as well.

"How's your father?"

"Well, right now he's in a coma. He's hooked to a ventilator. They don't know if he'll come out of it or if it'll be a long term thing. I guess if he doesn't show any signs of coming out of it, some decisions will have to be made. You know, I've always prepared myself for having to make these kinds of decisions for my mother but I never considered having to make them for my father. I don't know if he has any kind of living will. That would be a good thing because it would take the decision out of my hands. You know I'm the last person he would want to make decisions about his life….or death!"

"Whenever I had to consider health concerns for my mother, there was only her and I to be concerned about, but now anything I decide regarding my Dad affects Evan. I have to think of how this impacts him. He shouldn't have to think about this kind of thing. He's only thirteen."

Allie took his hand and looked into his eyes, "And if I have my facts right, you were dealing with this kind of thing when you were thirteen. You were looking after a schizophrenic parent as well as going to university. You were dealing with your mother's health issues. You seem to feel you have to protect Evan from every hardship in life. You can't do that honey."

"Protect him from every hardship in life, my God, the kid went through leukemia!" Reid's voice squeaked as it tended to when he became excited. "Excuse me if I want him to have a little happiness, to be able to be a kid with no worries."

"I don't think anyone gets that kind of guarantee."

"Well, I'm not going to do anything for a while. I have to wait and see if my father comes out of this. I hope he does. I don't want anyone on the team feeling any guilt as far as my father is concerned."

"Is that the only reason," Allie asked with raised eyebrows?

"It would probably be really hard on Evan if he stayed in a coma."

"And," Allie continued to probe.

"And what, what do you want me to say," Reid snapped?

"I want you to tell me how you feel." Allie started to yell. "You, who has always been expected to care for everybody else, first your mother, then your brother and now your father. Your father shot at you tonight and now you're being asked to decide what's best for him. And you just accept it as another responsibility. Aren't you mad as hell because I am?"

"Look, yeah I'm upset but I don't have time for that right now." Reid started to pace in his living room. "I have Dad and Evan to think about and the murder investigation. I also have to do some research. I want all my ducks in a row and when I make a decision, it will be a very informed one."

Allie sighed heavily, looking at the man she loved, "I never doubted that for a moment."


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds

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Reid had heard nothing from the hospital the next morning. He thought of calling but did not want a situation where he could do nothing to interfere with his investigation into the murder of Melanie Masterson, a situation where he felt he could do something, hopefully a lot. So instead of talking to hospital personnel, he was walking into Garcia's office. "Hey Garcia, have you got anything for me on those guest list searches?"

"Yeah, sweet cheeks, you bet that cute little butt of yours, I do."

"Garcia!"

"What, Reid, just because you are going with that cute little number from QD does not mean that the rest of the female population of this great U.S.of A cannot look and appreciate your cute butt."

The crimson faced Reid, remembering Allie's words at the mall, responded, "Uh Garcia, maybe we better get to the names you found in the search."

"Before I do that Reid, is there any word on your Dad, and how are you feeling about the whole thing. I mean, the man set out to harm you and now you are being expected to make decisions with his best interests at heart. Come on, that has got to be just plain hard honey."

Garcia patted the chair next to her and Reid sat. He was never able to resist Garcia. The computer wizard knew him like no one else and despite her quirky pet names and off beat repartee, with him she could always cut to what was important and he loved her for it.

"I don't know how I feel. I mean, I wish this was someone else's decision but I know that even though he was a rotten one for most of my life, he's still my father. Somehow when all is said and done, deep down inside I can't deny that it still matters. I hope that there will be some kind of change for better or worse that will make my decision easier. I'll just have to make the best decision I can out of the possible choices I'm given, knowing that there is no right answer."

"Listen to me, my sweet boy and remember one thing. Although when you look at it that door over there may be closed. It is always open for you, you got that." Reid nodded. "Okay then, on with the lists."

"We have quite a few people who attended Masterson's events on a regular basis. Now many of these people are the cream of the Washington social elite, so I doubt they will give you much of a clue. I did concentrate on politicians since you said Keesha Jackson said Melanie's lover might be in the White House some day."

"There are two people from both parties that everybody considers to be on the short list. The elephants have Chuck Meisner, senator from Oklahoma and his wife, Rona, and Amy Billingsly, from Wisconsin, and he husband, Phil. The donkeys have Gerry Moore, senator from Massachusetts and his wife Lana and Mike Ritchie, representative from Florida with wife Gloria. These four couples are at Masterson's functions most of the time. If you eliminate Billingsly because she's a woman, that leaves you with Moore, Meisner and Ritchie as your main contenders."

Reid thanked Garcia and left the computer tech with at least a starting point. This was not going to be easy. An FBI agent investigating presidential hopefuls; that could all too easily be gotten hold of by the press and he certainly didn't want that.

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Reid checked with Morgan and Prentiss, who were talking to Masterson's employees. Some said they thought she had something going on with someone but she was very tight lipped about it and they had no idea who it was. She was never seen out in public with anyone. "That sort of goes along with the idea of her seeing someone who could be a presidential candidate; they would certainly not want the relationship to be public knowledge," Emily stated, exasperated that they were getting nowhere with their inquiries.

The young profiler also had spoken by phone to the victim's mother Angela and her sister Ashley, who lived in Illinois. Neither woman would admit to knowing anything about Melanie's involvement with a married man, a presidential candidate no less. He hoped they had been telling him the truth and not just trying to avoid having their relative's name dragged through the mud after her death.

Garcia had given him numbers where the politicians could be reached. Reid gave the questioning of Meisner and Moore to Morgan and Prentiss while he took Ritchie. Reid rang Ritchie's Washington residence and made an appointment to speak with him.

He arrived at the Ritchie home in an affluent section of DC. The door was answered by Gloria Ritchie, who was disturbed that a member of the FBI wanted to question her husband about a murder. "I assure you Agent Reid, that my husband would have nothing to do with anything like this and it could be detrimental to his campaign hopes that you are even suggesting such thing."

"Mrs. Ritchie, I am in no way suggesting Representative Ritchie is involved in anything. I am merely on a fact finding mission. I have come here quietly to be as unobtrusive as possible. Believe me, I could have made arrangements for Congressman Ritchie to come to FBI headquarters in full view of the press," Reid countered Gloria Ritchie's accusation.

Mike Ritchie entered the foyer saying, "Gloria, the agent is right. He's just trying to do his job. I am quite willing to talk to him. If you'll come with me Agent…Reid, is it?" Reid nodded and followed Ritchie to a wood paneled study with dark mahogany furniture and rich leather upholstery.

"I apologize for my wife. She can be somewhat overprotective."

"I can totally understand under the circumstances. I am looking into the death of Melanie Masterson. I understand that you and your wife attended a number of events she catered."

"Well, that's probably true. Gloria and I do attend a lot of events. In Washington, it's who you know; so I try to get out there and meet as many movers and shakers as possible. That may sound very self serving but with your job I'm sure you understand, we live in the real world. Mounting a campaign takes a lot of work and unfortunately, a lot of money. I try to go where the money is in hopes of getting contributors."

"Ms. Masterson's phone logs show her making quite a few phone calls here about two months ago. Could you explain?"

"Well, I certainly never talked to her," Ritchie said, looking directly at Reid, his body language was open and Reid felt he was telling the truth. "It was more than likely that she spoke to my wife. We did hold a fundraiser about that time. She catered it. My wife is sometimes difficult to please so I can imagine there being more than a few phone calls from Ms. Masterson, in attempting to keep Gloria happy."

"Do you know if there was any talk in political circles about someone having a relationship with Ms. Masterson?"

Ritchie laughed, "You want me to tattle on one of my opponents, don't you? You know, I probably would if I knew anything but alas, who is doing what with whom has never been high on my agenda, I'm sorry Agent Reid."

Reid chuckled in reply, "It was worth a try. Thank you for your time, Congressman Ritchie, good luck with your campaign."

"Thank you Agent Reid, good luck with your case. I hope you find your killer," he led Reid to the door and Reid left, bidding goodbye to the glaring Mrs. Ritchie, feeling he had gotten nowhere. He hoped Morgan and Prentiss were having better luck.

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Before he returned to Quantico, he stopped at the George Washington Medical Centre to check on the condition of his father. William Reid looked no different, lying as he had last evening. He was still monitored closely. The ventilator continued its endless cycle of pumping air into his father's lungs.

Dr. Shipman, who was attending William Reid, spoke to Spencer. "There has been a very slight improvement. Yesterday, he scored three on the Glasgow Coma Scale. Today, he scored six. He's responding to painful stimuli now, which was absent yesterday and before you ask, I believe his pain has been adequately controlled with the Dilaudid."

"Can he hear us," Reid asked?

"Well, that has been a long standing question. There have been subjects who have emerged from comas that say, although they could not move or speak, they could hear every word. So I always tell families, it's a good possibility, so they should talk to their loved one."

_Loved one. Not a lot of love there!_

Reid thanked the doctor for his time and said he would check back later but to please call if there was any significant change. There was no time like the present, he thought. He had to talk to Janice and Evan.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds

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The woman and the kid got in the car. He followed in the Lexus. Maybe she'd drop the kid off somewhere, where he could get at him. Oh good, they were turning in. Damn, church. He couldn't do anything at a church. This kid was really starting to piss him off. How hard can it be to get a kid for God's sake?

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Reid called to check in with Morgan and Emily. He had spoken to Janice and had time to kill while she and Evan were in church. "Morgan, hey man, any luck with Meisner or Moore. I had no luck with Ritchie. He didn't appear to have a relationship with our victim and I believe him."

"Prentiss and I didn't have a lot of luck either, Doc. First of all Meisner hasn't been in Washington for about three weeks. His daughter was getting married so he took a break and is spending a month in his constituency. Have you ever seen Meisner? He's about fifty, almost bald and a bit on the heavy side. He sure didn't appeal to Prentiss and she can't see Melanie getting hot and heavy with him."

"That leads us to Gerry Moore. He's a pretty suave individual. Prentiss gave him a good grade as far as being appealing to the ladies. He said he'd met Melanie Masterson but only in a professional capacity, like he's going to tell us if he's sleeping with her. I thought he was a bit evasive, but nothing I could put my finger on. Wife seems like a real intellectual, you'd probably get on well with her. We couldn't pick up any signs that there were problems in the marriage but we'll keep digging."

"Okay Morgan, thanks. Whatever you can find out would be helpful. I'm heading over to Janice and Evan's. I've got to talk to them about Dad. I'll talk to you later." Reid ended the call, putting his cell back in his pocket, started his SUV and headed for his brother's house.

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Okay, maybe now he'd get a chance, they were now driving home from church. Maybe he could sneak in and knock the mother out, take care of the kid and get out of there fast. He didn't want to hurt the mother, he told himself but he could never seem to get the kid alone. They were pulling into the driveway; he'd just wait for them to get….Oh he could not believe it! The damn Ford explorer was coming up the street. The FBI agent again, son of a b…..

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Reid arrived just as Janice and Evan were pulling into the garage. "Hi," Janice greeted, "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm okay, it's not really bothering me." Reid replied as he followed them into the house, affectionately mussing Evan's hair. Once they were in the house, Reid stated, "I have to talk to you both about Dad."

"How's he doing," Evan asked quietly.

Reid sat on the loveseat and motioned for Janice and Evan to sit as well. They sat on the couch and looked expectantly at him.

"Dad's in a coma. When they were removing the bullet from his chest, his heart stopped. They got it started again but he was deprived of oxygen for a time and he may have suffered brain damage. He's on a ventilator that breathes for him because he's not breathing on his own," he explained to Evan. "The doctors don't know if he'll come out of it or not."

He paused, looking at Janice, "Did Dad have a living will or anything? Did he ever make his wishes known to you if something like this ever happened to him?"

"No Spencer, he never had a living will and he never made his wishes known to me. I think he thought he was invincible." Reid nodded and Janice continued, "Why do you care about his wishes? The man tried to kill you." She stopped and shook her head. "No, you wouldn't seek revenge and try to make him pay for hurting you. You are a moral man Spencer and you will strive to do the right thing, whatever that is."

"If he doesn't come out of the coma, decisions will have to be made." He looked at Janice again. "You know how he feels about me. You know I'm the last person he would want deciding on these issues for him but it appears that it's left up to me." Reid let out a big breath. "Anything I decide, will ultimately affect Evan as well so I wanted to keep you informed and if you have any information that might help, I'd appreciate it."

"What do you mean by decisions to make, what decisions and why you," Evan asked?

Reid did not answer immediately, taking time to collect his thoughts. "If Dad doesn't come out of the coma, he could stay the way he is for a very long time. The doctors and nurses can keep machines running that breathe for him; they can put tubes in that feed him. He has a catheter in now that takes away the urine. He would be alive but not functioning in any way, just lying there. It's called a prolonged vegetative state and people can exist like that for many years."

He paused and cleared his throat. "Some people don't see that as living. They see it as just being kept alive by machines. Often people will have what's called a living will that expresses their wishes if something like this should happen to them. It will tell the medical professionals if they want to be kept alive this way or allowed to die. If they don't have one it's up to the person's family or someone they've designated for that purpose, called a power of attorney, to make the decision. Since Dad's no longer married, you and I are his next of kin and since I'm the adult, the decision rests with me. I wanted to find out how you felt about it since anything I decide affects you too."

"Do you have one of those living will things," Evan inquired.

"Yeah, Evan I do, especially since, until I met you, the only family I had was my mother and she's incapable of making that kind of decision, any decision, actually. There's also always the chance that I will develop schizophrenia, like my mother and be unable to make decisions for myself. So, because of that and the fact that the job I do often puts me in harm's way and the chances of something like that happening to me are greater than the ordinary person on the street, I made sure to have a living will and I've named Gideon as my power of attorney. I've also made arrangements for my care if the worst happens and I do develop schizophrenia. Then no one is burdened with my problems."

"It wouldn't be a burden to look after you Spencer. I love you and I'd want to make sure you were alright."

"I'm glad to hear that Evan, it's comforting to know that I wouldn't be languishing forgotten in some institution, however, I don't want you to have to make heart wrenching decisions. It's not easy and if I can avoid leaving that to someone by doing this now, I think it's a good idea."

"So let me get this straight, the doctors and everybody want you to decide whether or not to kill Dad."


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: **Still own nothing but my own characters

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Reid was taken aback for a moment by his brother's bluntness in stating the situation. "Well, not exactly killing, Evan. I haven't decided anything yet. Dad may come out of this and I want to give it some time to see if he does. If he doesn't, then I'll have to decide. It would not be like taking a gun to him or anything. It would just be allowing nature to take its course. There are also passive things like what's called a DNR; that means if Dad's heart stopped again, the professionals would not attempt to restart it. These are things I have to consider and like I said, I'm going to wait and see if he comes out of it."

"Can I see him?" Evan wanted to know.

Reid looked at Janice, not sure if she wanted Evan exposed to the sights and sounds of the ICU, however, Spencer thought it might help Evan grasp the complexity of the situation. Janice responded, "I guess you could go see him if you really want to. Spencer, would you take him. I really don't think I can handle it. I spent so much time on pins and needles in hospitals when Evan was sick. I don't know if I can go through it again."

"Sure I can do that, no problem," Reid replied.

They started to head out to Reid's SUV, when Janice said, "Oh Spencer, I have a favor to ask of you. I have to attend a librarians' conference in St. Louis. Evan is going to stay at Manny's. I didn't ask that he stay with you because your life is so unpredictable but I would like to give your name to the school, in case there are any problems. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure Janice, that's fine. I don't mind being the contact person for Evan." Reid stated as he and Evan were going out the door.

They made the ride to George Washington Medical Centre in relative silence, each brother lost in his own thoughts concerning their father. Considering his father's abandonment of him as a child, Reid never dreamed he'd be asked to make a decision regarding William Reid's very life and death. Every time he saw his father and heard the endless click of the ventilator, the sound of another click resounded in his mind. The memories of being asked to choose others' deaths came flooding back uninvited to his consciousness. When would the torture end? When would it finally be enough?

Upon entering the ICU, Reid informed the nurse that he had William Reid's thirteen year old son with him. The nurse asked them to wait a few moments while she went to check that no procedures were being performed on the patient at that time. She returned shortly thereafter and led them to their father's bed.

Evan remained silent as he looked at his father lying in the hospital bed. The area was quiet except for the noise the ventilator made as it continued to deliver the breath of life to William Reid. The boy looked around, trying to take in all the equipment attached to his father. He raised his hands a little, then put them back down at his sides. "It's okay to touch him," Reid told him.

Evan reached out slowly and touched his Dad's hand. "Hi Dad," he said, barely above a whisper. He then turned and asked Spencer, "Can he hear me?"

"The doctor says it's very likely that he can."

Evan sat down on the chair beside the bed. "Dad, I know things haven't been really good between us and I've been kinda mad at you for a while but I don't really want you to die. Spencer's here too. He doesn't want you to die either. Spencer's got through some pretty bad things, and I got through leukemia so that shows that Reid guys can handle really tough stuff." The boy's voice began to crack and tears filled his eyes. "I know you can make it through this Dad because you're a Reid like me and Spencer. Don't give up, okay." He looked closely, searching his father's face for some response but saw nothing and heard only the incessant click of the ventilator.

"He's assisting," the nurse said quietly from beside the ventilator.

Reid turned to the nurse whose nametag said Wanda, "What do you mean?"

"There are two modes on a ventilator, controlled and assist/controlled. With controlled, the ventilator gives the breath no matter what the patient's capacity to breathe is. With assist/controlled, which is what your father is on, if the patient attempts to breathe on his own the ventilator will allow the patient's own breath in addition to those set by the machine. This green light here," she pointed to a little indicator, "Will go on if the patient attempts to assist. It has gone on three times since you two have been sitting here."

"Is that a good thing," Evan asked?

"It means he's trying to breathe on his own. The more often it happens, the better. It has to happen much more frequently before doctors will consider weaning him off the ventilator."

Reid and Evan stayed a while longer, then left, Reid reminding the nurses to call with any changes. Evan was excited by the fact that their father had tried to breathe on his own. Reid attempted to tone down his brother's enthusiasm without dampening his hopes. Reid had a feeling that Evan thought if their Dad came around, everything would suddenly be wonderful for them. Evan was forgetting that his father had been wounded in the commission of a felony and when and if he came around, he would then be dealt with by the legal system. There was to be no happy ending here and Reid wracked his brain to find a kind way to make Evan understand this.

After delivering Evan back home, Reid returned to Quantico, trying to figure out the murder of Melanie Masterson. He looked at his own report along with those of Morgan and Prentiss. JJ had not gotten anything of value from her contacts in the press.

If Keesha Jackson was right, then Masterson must have been seeing one of the three hopefuls. He thought Prentiss and Morgan were probably right about Meisner and he was relatively sure that Ritchie was telling him the truth. That left Moore. He felt sure he was missing something, but what? It was right there in his head, why couldn't he put his finger on it?

Morgan, Prentiss and JJ came into the conference room, each with a mug of coffee. "How's it going my man, any breakthroughs in the case?" Morgan sat down beside his friend.

"No Morgan, and I know it's something that's staring me right in the face and I can't see it. 

"Prentiss and I are pretty sure it's not Meisner and you don't think Ritchie did it, right?"

"Yeah, I don't think that guy could kill anybody. Now his wife on the other hand, I think she was ready to kill me for even daring to question her husband." They all laughed and the tension Reid was feeling was lessened somewhat.

"Well I can understand that Reid," JJ commented, "I mean if you're questioning her husband effected his campaign then it would also effect her chance to be in the white house as well."

"Yeah, you're right about that," Reid chuckled as he collected his things, to leave for the day. As he headed out the door he remarked, "Hell hath no fury..."


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds but wish I did

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When Reid's alarm clock rang on Monday morning, he swore loudly, feeling like he had just gotten to sleep after a restless night. His mind had been fixated on Melanie Masterson's murder and the answer that was just beyond his grasp. Something JJ had said was sticking in his mind. What if it wasn't the man who was having the affair that was the murderer but the wife, whose chance at the white house could be ruined by her husband's mistress. The more he thought about it, and remembered the glaring looks he had received from Gloria Ritchie, the more he felt he was on to something.

He set about making his coffee, then hit the shower. Just as he was coming out from the bathroom, his phone rang. "Reid"

"Good morning Spencer."

"Hi Janice, all ready for your trip to St. Louis?"

"Yes, I'm leaving shortly. I just called to remind you that Evan will be at Manny's and you're the contact for the school. I'll be back in four days."

"Okay, have fun." He scratched his head. "Do librarians have fun?"

"Of course we do, the misconceptions people have about librarians!"

"Hey, personally I love em."

"You would, bye Spencer."

"Bye Janice."

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When Reid arrived at Quantico, he asked Garcia to look up any information on Gloria Ritchie, Rona Meisner and Lana Moore. He then headed for the bullpen; he had some consults to work on.

Reid was into his second consult when his cell rang shortly after ten a.m. It was the secretary for the principal of Talbot Middle School. There was a problem with Evan Reid; he was, at this moment, in the principal's office. Spencer Reid as contact person was required to come to the school and talk to the principal about the conduct of Evan Reid. The secretary would not elaborate. Reid told her he would be there shortly.

_What was this about? Evan never got in trouble._

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Reid arrived at Talbot Middle School, finding the hallways deserted with most of the kids in classes. He saw one boy in the hallway who directed him to the principal's office. Reid identified himself to the secretary behind the desk, saying he was here regarding Evan Reid. The secretary went into the office for a few moments and returned saying he could go in. Reid entered the principal's office to find a man in his fifties, slightly overweight with grey hair, a grey goatee and blue eyes that had seen too much, sitting behind the desk. In one of the two chairs in front of the desk, sat Evan. The principal was offering his hand, "Jake Senoff, how do you do?"

"Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid, pleased to meet you," Reid shook the proffered hand. "What is this about, Mr. Senoff?"

"Evan has been brought into the office for fighting. There is a zero tolerance policy here at the school. Evan decked another student causing minor injuries which did require a visit to the school nurse. Since we have a zero tolerance policy, I think that…"

"Excuse me Mr. Senoff," Reid interrupted, "But before we discuss any kind of punishment, I would like to know what happened. I would like to speak to my brother alone." Principal Senoff stood and left the room saying something about giving them a few minutes. When the door closed, Reid turned to Evan, "Explain please."

"Okay Spencer, it's like this. There's this guy here, Julian Fitzgibbon, and he's a big bully. He's bigger than all the other kids and he's so mean. He calls Judy Harrison rotten names. She's kinda chubby and he calls her tubby, Porky Pig and a fat cow. He pushes Abraham Goldberg all the time and makes fun of him because he wears a yarmulke. Nobody ever does anything about it because his dad is some big wig in the education department. Well today he went after Manny. He made some really gross remarks to him in Spanish, getting on him cuz he's from Cuba. He said seeing Manny, he knew why they called it the Bay of Pigs. Then he pushed him on the ground and was kicking him. I wasn't going to let him hurt my friend so I used the hand to hand Morgan taught me and brought him down with a leg sweep and then I gave him a Phoenix eye jab. The guy had it coming Spencer and I'm not sorry, if they want to suspend me, that's fine with me."

As Evan spoke, Reid's lips pressed together, as the grim reminder of the bullies that crossed the path of the child prodigy in a public school, resurfaced. He remembered the abuse he had been subjected to at their hands, both physical and emotional. He also remembered how he had wished so fervently that someone, anyone, would come forward and help him.

But nobody did, partly because no one saw bullying as a problem. They thought bullying wasn't that bad, really. Nobody got hurt, at least not badly. It was only one step away from teasing wasn't it and we all tease, don't we? So if we say bullying is wrong then our teasing might be wrong and no, that just couldn't be. Reid remembered the looks on some of the kids' faces, the ones that really knew it was wrong; the ones who had been bullied before. He could see it in their eyes, the pity they felt for him but something else as well, relief, that if the bully was picking on Reid, he was leaving them alone.

Evan had stood up to this bully and Reid was proud of him. He'd be damned if he would let Evan be the one blamed for bad behavior. Reid stood up and opened the door telling the principal they were ready. Mr. Senoff started again, "As I was saying, since we have a zero tolerance policy on violence, I am going to have to suspend young Evan here for two days."

"Not unless you suspend Julian Fitzgibbon as well. He's just as guilty, more so actually and you know it. I agree that fighting is not a good choice but sometimes it's the only choice. It appears that Julian Fitzgibbon has been allowed to run rampant in this school with no consequences for his actions. That ends today. I don't care how high up in the education department his father is. You either take action against that boy or I will."

"Alright, Agent Reid, Dr. Reid, what do you call yourself?"

"Dr Reid will do."

"Alright Dr. Reid," the principal sighed, looking rather sheepish;" I'll see that Julian is suitably punished."

"I'll check and see that you do."

"There's no need for that."

"Forgive me if I think there is and don't think I can't find out. I investigate for a living."

"Now, I'll take Evan with me as a suspension this afternoon but no longer. He'll be back in school tomorrow morning. And Julian Fitzgibbon better not be here. Come on Evan." Reid said, as he headed for the door. Evan followed behind his brother.

"You sure told him," he said when they got out into the hallway. Classes were done for the morning and students were milling in the hallway. Evan saw Manny and waved.

"Evan, you okay, what happened with Mr. Senoff?"

"I got suspended for this afternoon, it would have been longer but Spencer had words with Mr. Senoff and I'll be back tomorrow."

"You can't go back to my house. Nobody will be there, Madre and Padre are both working."

"That's okay, I'll go to my house and your Mom can pick me up when she picks you up after school." Manny nodded in agreement to this plan. He said good bye to Spencer and went to eat his lunch.

They were going out the front door when three girls came up to them. Reid recognized one of them as Bethany. The other two were a petite brunette and a chubby girl with red hair and glasses. "Hi Evan, where are you going," Bethany inquired?

Evan explained about the half day suspension due to his altercation with Julian. The girls seemed impressed. "You know my brother Spencer," he turned to introduce Reid, "You know Bethany and this is Shauna Wayne and Judy Harrison." Judy Harrison looked at the ground then smiled shyly at Evan, gratitude evident in the sad green eyes hidden behind her wire rimmed glasses. It was a look Reid understood all too well.

Reid smiled, "Very nice to meet you ladies," causing the girls to erupt into giggles. Remembering the mall, Reid decided he better not hang around them too long, wondering how he had suddenly become a hit with pubescent girls. He turned to Evan, saying, "I'll meet you in the car Rambo," which sent the girls into another fit of laughter.

Reid waited in the SUV for a few minutes before Evan showed up. He looked questioningly at the boy. "Bethany asked me to be her partner for the science project. Isn't that great!"

"Yeah, that's great. Is Bethany good at science?"

Evan looked at his brother like he was from outer space, rolled his eyes and said, "Who cares!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds, well my own criminal mind maybe, but not the show!

**A/N: **Thanks to all who continue to read and review

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As Reid and Evan pulled onto Lakeview Lane, Reid was admonishing Evan to work on school work and not listen to his I-pod or play video games. This was not a day off; it was supposed to be punishment after all. He'd already checked with Elena Castillo and she would pick Evan up after she picked Manny up from school.

He'd also spoken to Elena about Julian Fitzgibbon's bullying of Manny. Elena and Juan would be speaking with Principal Senoff as would Judy Harrison and Abraham Goldberg's parents. Garcia had gotten him their names and numbers. It would be made clear to Principal Senoff that if this situation was not dealt with quickly and to their satisfaction, complaints would be moving up the administrative ladder. Reid felt that a concerted effort between the parents and himself to put pressure on Principal Senoff would leave the man unable to ignore the boy's actions, no matter who his father was.

"Spencer, didn't you ever have any fun and doing quadratic equations does not count as fun with most people?"

"Well, not a lot, really. Like I told you, there were never any people my age around to have fun with and I couldn't participate in the kind of fun the people around me were having."

Evan let himself into the house and waved goodbye to his brother. He watched Spencer back out of the driveway, not really paying attention, and he almost backed into a grey Lexus coming down the street. Spencer looked apologetically at the driver and drove off. Sometimes he wondered about the FBI letting Spencer have a gun.

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He could not believe his luck. The FBI guy was dropping the kid off. The mother was gone. He'd seen her take the airport shuttle this morning. That meant the kid was alone. Finally!

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Reid was driving back to Quantico, pondering the possibilities of suspects, when it hit him. They had been looking at this all wrong from the beginning. He pulled over. He had to call Garcia.

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The nurses were busy tending to the needs of William Reid. One had just changed his dressings and given him a bedbath. Wanda was now checking his vital signs. She was talking to the patient as she worked. "I saw your two sons in here yesterday. They are quite an impressive pair. The young one, Evan isn't it, he is so cute. I know he is going to break some hearts. I heard him saying to you that he'd overcome leukemia. How terrible for the little guy. I'm so glad he made it through okay. Now that older son, Spencer, he's pretty fantastic too. Not hard on the eyes and an FBI agent to boot. He's turned a few heads in here since he's been coming to check on you." She adjusted the blood pressure cuff. "You must be so proud of them." She recorded the reading on her flowsheet. "You're a lucky man, William." She turned to see a pair of beautiful brown eyes staring back at her, eyes that she had seen before; yesterday, when his sons sat at his bedside.

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Reid's cell phone rang as he was driving; he pushed the speaker, "Talk to me Garcia."

"I think you were right boy wonder. Masterson's logs show a whole slew of calls to him over a six month period. His credit card doesn't show much but I think he got Melanie to make arrangements to avoid a paper trail that would lead to him."

"From all the info I can get the wife's a pretty shrewd character. She had to be to get where she is. Now you wanted me to look at the people in her life. The most obvious one would be her right hand man, Paul Overton. He's been with her for quite a while and is at her beck and call twenty-four seven."

"Emily and Morgan tried to talk to him but nobody has seen him much since Masterson's murder. The other employees said she's got him out on some kind of assignment, whatever that means. Now I did a check on his call logs. He calls her all the time but doesn't call a lot of other people. He made a call to Officer Gail Fields of DC metro. Emily and Morgan went to talk to her to see what it was about. I'll let you know if they find anything."

They ended the call and Reid continued on the road heading for Quantico.

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Okay, he'd waited in case Mr. FBI had just gone for milk, but it didn't look like he was coming back. His cell phone rang, "What?"

"Have you gotten anywhere, this is ridiculous."

"Yes, I've finally gotten somewhere. The kid's in the house alone. I'm going in now. I'll call you when it's done."

He ended the call, getting out of the car and headed toward the house. This kid had really pissed him off and the time had come.

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Morgan and Emily approached Gail Fields and asked about the last phone call she had received from Paul Overton. Gail said she remembered the call because he said they'd get together soon and then she hadn't heard from him. She felt he was just using her.

"Using you for what," Emily asked?

"Oh, he said some guy was following his boss and she was upset about it. He gave me the plate number and I ran it for him."

"Do you remember who that person was," Morgan inquired.

"Yeah, I do." Gail said angrily. "The reason I do is that I gave him the name and I thought after that I'd look the guy up and see if I could give him some extra info and it was darn good info too. Then I got busy and didn't get back to him right away. But then he didn't call like he said he would and I got pissed and said to hell with it, I'm not gonna tell him."

"So you have this guy's name and extra info," Emily prodded.

She looked at them strangely. "Well why don't you talk to him, he's one of you guys, FBI. That's what I found when I looked him up, Spencer Reid, FBI."

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"Yeah, Garcia."

"Reid, I just talked to Derek and Emily. This guy called a cop he knew asking her to run your plate the evening of the day Masterson's body was found."

"My plate," Reid said, confused, "Why my plate? How would he even know I was looking into this murder? I wasn't even looking into it much at that point. Garcia, I'm getting a bad feeling about this guy. Can you send a picture and info to my laptop?"

"Sure, sweetie." Reid again pulled over and opened up his laptop and Paul Overton's driver's license photo appeared on the screen. The guy looked familiar, he'd seen him somewhere.

Garcia was continuing, "He lives at apartment 639- 1440 Montana Avenue. He drives a grey Lexus, DC plate number…"

"677 259," Reid said, "Oh my God, Garcia, get the cops, the team, anybody, to Evan's place. The guy's after Evan."


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds

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Evan was sitting at his desk, his school books in front of him, like Spencer had suggested, although he wasn't looking at them. There were too many things going on in his mind. His Dad was trying to breathe on his own. That was a good thing but, of course, Spencer kept telling him it was too early to get his hopes up about their father's condition.

Now one thing he could get his hopes up about was Bethany. She'd said he was really brave to stand up to Julian and now he was going to be her partner for the science project. She could have picked one of her girlfriends but she'd picked him, Evan Reid. Maybe Spencer would help him and they could do the best project ever and get to go to the science fair. Evan Reid and Bethany Cramer at the science fair, who knew where it could lead. He rested his chin on his hand and wondered if she'd ever let him kiss her.

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Morgan and Emily were racing through the DC streets, sirens whirring and lights flashing. "I can't believe this guy is going after Evan," Emily blurted out anxiously.

"We have to get there in time Prentiss, we just have to. If anything happens to that boy…"

"Don't say it, don't even think it!" Emily replied, the concern for their young friend evident on her face.

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Reid had never driven so fast in his life. He was running red lights and taking corners on two wheels. He had to get to his brother. Overton had been right outside the house, he'd almost hit him. But then he'd just driven away and left his brother at the mercy of this killer. His cell phone rang.

He kept speeding through the streets, answering through his headset, "What!"

"Oh, uh, is this Dr. Reid," a bewildered voice came through the speaker.

"Yeah."

"This is Wanda from GW Medical Centre. I just wanted to tell you that your dad has opened his eyes and may be coming around. You said you wanted to know if there was any change."

He couldn't believe his ears. A killer is after Evan and Dad picks now to come around!

"Dr. Reid, are you there?"

"Oh yeah, thanks, I'll, uh, I'll, get there when I can."

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The front door had a deadbolt, he wasn't getting in that way and the front door was too out in the open. Someone might see him. The other guy had gotten in through the back door so he figured his chances were better there. He followed the cobblestone path to the back door. It was locked but it wasn't a deadbolt so he should be able to pick it.

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Wanda was looking at William Reid. There was definitely a change. He was assisting the ventilator frequently now. His eyes were moving and they followed her when she spoke. She hoped his son, Spencer would come soon, but he'd sounded really distracted when she'd spoken to him on the phone.

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The lock had been fairly easy to pick and Paul Overton found himself in a bright, gleaming kitchen. A bowl of fresh fruit sat on the counter and a vase of flowers from the garden graced the table. A schedule of events involving the mother and son was tacked with magnets to the refrigerator. A note that said 'Don't forget to take out the trash before you leave for school, Love ya. Mom' was written with blue marker on a message board. The trash can looked to be full, so obviously the kid forgot or ignored Mommy's instructions. Oh well, at least she wouldn't worry about it when she came home, he thought. She'd have other things to distract her, like a dead son. He went in search of his prey.

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"Garcia," Reid yelled into his cell, "did you get the metro police?"

"Yeah, I did Reid but they're stretched to the limit because of the…"

"G8 summit," Reid yelled in frustration. "What, it's a holiday for felons because some world leaders are here. That's a great message."

"Sorry, Sweetie Pie."

"It's not your fault, thanks Garcia." Reid pressed the speed dial for Evan.

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Evan rounded the corner to the dining room. He thought he heard something in the kitchen. When he was walking toward the kitchen, a man appeared in the kitchen doorway. He was medium height and had short dark hair. Evan stopped dead. "Well, we finally meet kid."

Fear manifested itself on Evans face. "W..Who are you? What are you doing here." He said as he started to back away.

"Oh come on, you know who I am. You were looking right at me when you found the body."

Evan's eyes widened, this was the man who killed that lady and he thought Evan had seen him and he was here to…

Evan turned and ran, trying to get to the front door but Overton was ready for that and caught the boy in the living room.

"I never saw you," Evan said. "I can't testify because I never saw you."

"Then what were you doing at the FBI," the two were struggling.

"I went there because I'm working on a project," Evan was still trying to squirm out of the man's grasp. "My brother is an FBI agent, he took me there. It had nothing to do with you."

So, that's what he was doing with the FBI agent. The kid had never seen him. Well it was too late now, wasn't it?

Overton had Evan from behind. Evan was twisting, trying to break free but the man was strong. Evan's cell phone started to ring. Evan tried to get his phone from his pocket but the killer stayed his hand, "No you don't, kid."

"It's probably my brother; if I don't answer, he'll know something's wrong and come here."

"That…may …be… so," Overton said, grunting to control the writhing boy, "but it'll be all over by then."

He had the garrote in his pocket but he couldn't get to it with this kid thrashing around. The cell continued to ring.

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Evan wasn't answering his cell. Paul Overton must be there now or worse, he'd been and gone. No, he couldn't believe that. Please God, let Evan be alright. Reid continued to speed toward Lakeview Lane.

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Prentiss' cell rang. "Yeah Garcia," she responded.

"Just letting you know that Hotch, Gideon and JJ are going with a swat team to the senator's home. Are you almost there?"

"Yeah, we should be there shortly. Thanks Garcia." Emily ended the call and turned to Morgan, "Hotch, Gideon and JJ are hitting the senator's home."

Morgan only nodded, his concentration on one thing, getting to Evan.

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He was attempting to talk. Wanda leaned over him. "William, you can't talk with the endotracheal tube in your mouth." He was blinking rapidly and trying to move his hands. His heart rate was increasing. Wanda tried something else. "William blink once for yes and twice for no, okay." One blink.

"Are you having pain, is that why you're so agitated?" Blink, blink. She went through everything she thought might be wrong, to no avail.

"Okay, we'll take another route." She went and got a clipboard with the alphabet printed in large letters. "William, can you see this?" Blink.

"You spell out for me what you need, okay?" Blink.

They went through the procedure of Wanda running her hand through the letters until he blinked and when they were done Wanda looked at the letters, MYSONSSOSORRY.

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Evan knew he had to get away from his attacker. Evan, he said to himself, Morgan taught you this. Think. Overton had a hold on him from behind, his arms successfully pinned to his side. Alright, use your legs. The boy lifted his right leg thrusting backward hard into Overton's right shin. Then he stomped his left foot down hard on the man's left instep. Overton cursed loudly and his grasp loosened enough that Evan was able to raise his arms, slide down to his knees and out of his attacker's grip. He bolted for the door.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Evan reached the front door and was unlocking the deadbolt when Overton lunged onto him from behind, pinning him to the door with his body weight. "You are really starting to piss me off kid, I wasn't taking a lot of pleasure in this but you've made me revise my thinking." While pinning the boy to the door, he reached into his pocket for the garrote. Evan managed to free a hand and reached over to the small table just inside the door and the shallow bowl that sat there.

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Hotch, Gideon and JJ, along with a swat team descended on the home of the senator of Wisconsin and presidential hopeful, Amy Billingsly, arresting her for conspiracy in the murder of Melanie Masterson. Following up on Reid's suspicions, Garcia had unearthed evidence that Masterson and Billingsly's husband Phil were having an affair. An affair, she felt, could cost her the chance to be the first woman president of the United States. Everything had worked out perfectly if it hadn't been for that damn kid, she thought, as she was being led out to the police car. The press was out in full force capturing it all for the six o'clock news.

"Well," Hotch said, "It seems everybody misunderstood what Melanie Masterson said about her lover possibly going to the White House. Everyone assumed it was as the president; no one stopped to think his role would be as first gentleman." Is that what he'd be called, he wondered?

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Prentiss' cell rang again, "Prentiss."

"Just letting you know, we just picked up Billingsly. The press is here. You guys get to Evan yet," JJ informed Emily.

"We're just turning onto the exit that'll take us to Lakeview Lane. We should be there in a couple of minutes." She ended the call and said to Morgan, "They got Billingsly."

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Overton released Evan briefly to grab the garrote with both hands, keeping his weight pressing the boy into the door. Evan twisted so he was slightly facing his attacker, lifted his arm and plunged it forward forcefully, catching the man off guard and jabbing his house key in Overton's left eye. "Ooow," Overton's left hand went to his eye. Evan shoved his flat hand as hard as he could into Overton's nose, a move Morgan had showed him on his visit to Quantico. Blood spurted immediately. "Oh, son of a bitch!"

Evan got the door open, running out into the street. Overton was following, both his eye and nose bleeding. "You fucking little bastard," he screamed. Evan continued running down the street with his attacker close behind. Overton was in good shape and dived at Evan, catching his feet and knocking him down. Evan thumped to the ground, winded.

"You wanna fight me you little bastard, huh." Evan was on his back with Overton on top of him as Reid's Ford Explorer screeched to a halt on the street. Reid was out of the vehicle in a nanosecond, his weapon drawn.

"Freeze Overton, let go of the boy or so help me God, I'll shoot you dead, this instant." Overton turned to see Reid behind him, his glock in both hands and pointed directly at him. He raised his hands, hearing sirens in the distance getting louder as Morgan and Emily pulled into the street, exiting their vehicle with guns drawn.

The sound of a helicopter could be heard overhead and Overton looked up to see through his uninjured eye, a news chopper capturing the event for the evening report. Morgan and Prentiss took charge of Overton, while Reid went to Evan.

"Hey, buddy, you okay," Reid crouched down to his brother, still on the ground.

Tears choked the boy's voice, "I…I thought you'd never g…get here. I knew you'd come, you always come through for me when I need you."

Reid stood, helping the boy to his feet and captured him in his arms, his voice quaking, "I was kind of afraid I wouldn't get here in time. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Reid put his hands on his brother's shoulders, "Are you okay, are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm okay; you got here just in time. I don't know if I could have held him off much longer."

"I'm gonna take you to the hospital and get you checked over. We have to go there anyway; one of the nurses called me earlier, Dad's coming around."

Morgan and Emily came over; DC metro had just arrived to transport Overton to the police station. "Hey, little man," Morgan said, giving Evan's shoulder a squeeze. "You did a great job of defending yourself. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Morgan," Evan hugged the profiler, "I think I'd be dead now if I hadn't remembered the things you taught me."

"No problem kid," Morgan replied, clearing his throat suspiciously and quickly putting on his sunglasses.

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"Wanda, turn that TV on, you gotta see this, it's all over the news." Bev Templeton told Wanda as she was, once again, checking William Reid's vital signs. Wanda clicked the remote and the TV on the wall bracket across from William's bed came to life.

They could see a woman reporter in a residential neighborhood on a split screen with the anchor in the studio. The anchor was speaking, "Marcia Bradford has this report from Lakeview Lane, Marcia." The camera zoomed in on a blond woman standing in front of some houses. Police cars and CSI vehicles could be seen along with people milling around in the background.

"Thanks Roy, well although details are still sketchy, this story has all the makings of a made for TV movie of the week. We have political intrigue and sexual scandal that led to a murder and at the heart of this story, the tale of two brothers." The reporter went into the story of Melanie Masterson's body being found by thirteen year old Evan Reid during a camping trip, explaining how his brother, Spencer Reid, an FBI profiler, then became involved in the case. "The investigation led to presidential hopeful Amy Billingsly whose husband, Phil, had an affair with the slain caterer. She was arrested earlier today and her right hand man, Paul Overton, came to this quiet residential area to eliminate Evan Reid as a possible witness. Evan Reid was able to fight off his attacker long enough to allow his FBI agent brother to get there and arrest Overton. Our cameras captured the scene shortly after that arrest." The screen showed Morgan and Prentiss dragging Paul Overton to a police vehicle and then the screen filled with Evan on the ground and Reid crouched beside him talking, then helping the boy to his feet and the embrace between the brothers.

Bev looked at Wanda, "Aren't those Mr. Reid's sons?"

"Yeah," Wanda replied, "That's them," She turned to her patient to see him staring at the TV screen, tears meandering unchecked down his cheeks. "Aw William, it's okay. Look, you see, your boys are fine. They're both okay. You must be so proud of them."

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Reid and Evan were in the ER. The doctor pronounced that Evan had luckily escaped his attack with only bumps and bruises. Photographs were taken for evidence and after Evan was discharged from the ER, the brothers headed for the ICU to check on William Reid. They were approached by Wanda when they entered the unit, "Hello Dr. Reid, I'm glad you're here. Your father has come out of his coma. He is responding and communicating as much as he can with the ET tube. I have something to show you." She brought out the letters William had picked earlier and showed it to Reid.

Reid read the words, unsure what to make of them. Was his father feeling some kind of remorse or was this a ploy to get some kind of consideration from his sons regarding what he had done. He did not want something like this to get Evan's hopes up for the future, only to have those hopes dashed once their father got well again or got what he wanted from them.

They followed Wanda to William Reid's cubicle, surprised to see him sitting up in bed, eyes open. Evan approached William, "Hi Dad, you look a lot better. Are you feeling better?" William tried to nod his head which was somewhat awkward with the endotracheal tube in place. He appeared to be looking very intently at his son. Evan's face showed his bewilderment. Wanda explained, "Your Dad saw you both on the news. Somebody had said to turn the TV on as something exciting was happening. It wasn't until it was over that we realized it was you guys. Your Dad was crying, I told him not to worry, you were both alright."

Reid found tears from his father over concern for his sons somewhat hard to believe. For Evan's sake he kept his suspicions to himself. Evan did not seem as wary of their father or the possible motives for his change in attitude. Reid was unsure whether it was his youth, his forgiving heart or wishful thinking. They stayed for a while longer and then got up to leave. As they were going out the door, Reid said to Evan, "I have to go back and ask the nurse something. Why don't you wait in the waiting room."

Back at his father's bedside Reid bent down and spoke quietly into William Reid's ear, "Alright Dad, what are you trying to pull here. A couple of days ago you try to kill me and today you're moved to tears over concern for Evan and me. I find it hard to believe but stranger things have happened and for Evan's sake, it would be nice for him to be able to feel his father cares about him. Me, I couldn't care less."

"So, did you just wake up today and suddenly feel remorse and this intense love for Evan and me or did going through a near death experience bring about an epiphany. It really doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is if it's real or just a ploy to get something out of Evan or myself. So I'm going to give you a chance to prove it. When you're better, you're going to be taken into custody and charged. If you really care about Evan, you'll tell your lawyer to make you a deal and you'll plead guilty, no trial. That way Evan won't have to testify. You know he won't want to testify against his Dad but he doesn't want to be disloyal to me. Don't make him make that choice. It'll break his heart. For once in your God forsaken life, do what's right for your child."


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: The Living Years (1988) composed by Mike Rutherford and

Brian Alexander Robertson

Thanks again to all who read and reviewed, you are super!

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The Reid brothers left the hospital, heading for the FBI so Reid could file his report. They were riding in silence, the events of the day finally sinking in. Evan had his head on the headrest looking like he was asleep. Reid had his SUV's radio tuned into an oldie station. The deejay introduced a song that Reid remembered from his childhood.

Every generation

Blames the one before

And all of their frustrations

Come beating on your door.

I know that I'm a prisoner

To all my father held so dear

I know that I'm a hostage

To all his hopes and fears

I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Crumpled bits of paper

Filled with imperfect thought

Stilted conversations

I'm afraid that's all we've got

You say you just don't see it

He says it's perfect sense

You just can't get agreement

In this present tense

We all talk a different language

Talking in defense

Say it loud, say it clear

You can listen as well as you hear

It's too late when we die

To admit we don't see eye to eye

William was resting quietly. Wanda had just taken his vital signs and said she would be going off shift in a few minutes and Ann would be his nurse for the night. She hurried off to give her report. Wanda had put the radio by his bedside on and tuned it to and oldie station. He could hear the strains of an 80's tune he remembered from when Spencer was little.

So we open up a quarrel

Between the present and the past

We only sacrifice the future

It's the bitterness that lasts

So don't yield to the fortunes

You sometimes see as fate

It may have a new perspective

On a different date

And if you don't give up, and don't give in

You may just be okay

Say it loud, say it clear

You can listen as well as you hear

It's too late when we die

To admit we don't see eye to eye

Reid drove on through the twilight. Could he believe his father had had a sudden change of heart? Was it a reaction to his near death experience? Having gone through that himself in Georgia, he knew things never looked exactly the same again.

I wasn't there that morning

When my father passed away

I didn't get to tell him

All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit

Later that same year

I'm sure I heard his echo

In my baby's newborn tears

I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Say it loud, say it clear

You can listen as well as you hear

It's too late when we die

To admit we don't see eye to eye

William closed his eyes, thinking back to when the song was popular. Spencer would have been six. Things were so different. They were happy then. Dianna was well and at the top of her profession, as was he. They had a very bright and happy little boy. How had all this happened to them? A tear ran out of the corner of his eye and onto the pillow.

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JJ had just finished her press conference following the arrest of Amy Billingsly and Paul Overton and came into the bullpen to find Reid at his desk. "Hey, nice work on the case, how's Evan?"

"He's okay, he's with Garcia, she had chocolate. I had to write up my report for Hotch and Morgan said something about pizza and well, you know Evan and pizza."

"Oh yeah, that love affair is one everybody knows about," JJ laughed. "I might as well give you the heads up," she began as Reid continued fingering his keyboard. "I had a lot of the press ask to speak to you and if you could get them permission to talk to Evan. Some of them weren't, you know, _The Washington Post._"

"You don't mean _The Informer_?"

"Well, yes as well as _Newsweek, Time _and_ People_. Reid this is a big story. A possible presidential candidate was taken down. The press is all over this."

"They are not getting near Evan," Reid was adamant. "How did they even get his name so fast?"

"Probably asked a nosy neighbor, everybody has one."

"Oh hell, I called Janice in St. Louis, she freaked. She says she's on the next flight out. I told her there's no need but I don't know if I convinced her. Evan's supposed to go stay at Manny's but with this press business, it's not really fair to the Castillos. Maybe he better stay with me tonight."

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Reid and Evan went out for pizza along with Morgan, Garcia, Prentiss and JJ. Evan was excited to tell the group how he had faced and bested the schoolyard bully using the hand to hand techniques Morgan had taught him. He also relayed how thrilled he was that Bethany had asked him, of all people, to be her partner for the science project.

At nine o'clock Reid said, "Come on Evan, we better get home, you have school in the morning." The group exited the restaurant to go to their respective vehicles, only to be bombarded by a group of reporters shouting questions at the brothers. Reid put his arm around his brother to protect him from the hoard.

"You two go to the SUV," JJ said, "I'll handle this." She turned to face the assembled mass, "Gentlemen…."

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The pair drove quickly to Reid's apartment, lucky not to be followed by the hounds of the fourth estate. They entered the profiler's domicile, glad to have found a safe haven at last. There was a light on and from the hallway leading to the bedroom came Allie clad in one of Reid's tee shirts that fell to just below her hips, and nothing else. "Well, you're finally ho…" she stopped dead when she saw Evan, looked down at what she wore and dashed back to the bedroom. Reid looked uncomfortable while Evan smirked, realizing that Allie hadn't expected him to be with Spencer, and well, he could put two and two together couldn't he?

Allie came back a few minutes later dressed in her own clothes. "So how are you Evan, are you okay? That must have been quite an ordeal you went through. Why don't I make some coffee?" She went to the sink to fill the pot with water. "Do you want a soda Evan, I'm sure Spencer's got one around here somewhere." She went to the refrigerator, found a can, turned to the cupboards, chatting while she did so. "I assume you've had dinner, let me guess, pizza," Allie continued to babble.

The two brothers just stood there watching Allie. They didn't bother to answer her; she wasn't leaving any time for them to do so anyway. Their heads went back and forth as the pretty FBI tech flitted from one end of the kitchen to the other wiping the counter, making the coffee, wiping the counter, pouring some soda in a glass for Evan, wiping the counter, putting the can in the recycling container, wiping the counter, getting out coffee cups and wiping the counter.

Reid knew it was either one of two things; Allie was really embarrassed that Evan had caught her parading around his apartment only half dressed or she was really mad at him. It was probably a combination of the two, he thought. He was sure if it was the latter, she would let him have it before too long. She finally pulled the sugar out of the cupboard and stood with her back to them waiting for the coffee to brew. The brothers looked at each other, wondering if it was safe for them to speak. Evan elbowed Reid and motioned toward Allie with his head.

Reid approached Allie from behind, "Hi," he said when he reached her.

She turned to face him, "Oh don't you hi me mister. I saw you and Evan on TV. Good thing too or I wouldn't have had a clue what happened to you.' The pitch and volume of her voice rising with every word, "I try to be really understanding and not be a cry baby about what you do and the fact that for three quarters of the time you're God knows where, in who knows what kind of danger. Some killer was after your little brother and you charge in to the rescue like you always do and put yourself in danger and I'm sitting there watching on TV how this murderer could have hurt two people I care about and you don't even call and tell me that you're both okay. You just go back to the office and go out for pizza. The coffee's ready." She turned to take hold of the coffee pot but Reid turned her around to face him.

"There's no excuse. I should have called you. I guess I've spent so long on my own that I still find it difficult to remember that somebody out there cares what happens to me. You have every right to be upset, I'm sorry."

"It really was kinda hectic Allie," Evan interjected, "And then after we had pizza, a lot of people from the newspapers and TV were outside the restaurant and kept shouting questions at us. That's why Spencer thought I better stay with him."

Allie raised her eyebrows at Spencer. "It's the truth," he confirmed, adding, "JJ warned me after her press conference that they were asking to talk to me and Evan. Luckily she was with us tonight and was able to handle them."

Allie's face softened somewhat. "Okay, I'm gonna go now. I'm glad you guys are okay. I'll see you tomorrow at Quantico then." She grabbed her purse from the couch and approached Evan, "Would you give a girl a hug bud?" Allie enveloped the boy in a warm embrace and kissed the top of his head, "I'm proud of you."

She headed for the door when Reid said, "Don't I get a hug too?" He walked up to Allie and took her hands in his, "Please." Reid pulled her into his arms. She remained stiff for a few moments then put her arms around his neck pulling him close and nestling her head on his shoulder. Neither heard Reid's bedroom door quietly close as Evan left the room.


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Reid dropped Evan off at school, stopping to talk with Principal Senoff about the events that had occurred after they had left the school the day before. The older man was very concerned that a killer had tried to harm Evan. He said he had seen the report on the news last evening.

"That's another thing I wanted to discuss with you. The press really wants to talk to Evan and I am doing my best to keep them away from him. Please call me if anyone shows up here trying to question Evan."

"I certainly will, Dr. Reid, you have my word." No one who saw the two brothers on their TV screen could doubt the strong bond that existed between them thought the principal. "I'm sure you're not surprised that I've heard from three sets of parents regarding Julian Fitzgibbon's behavior." Reid's look said that, no, he was not surprised at all. Jake Senoff nodded, with just the briefest hint of a smile. "Disciplinary action has been taken." Reid told the principal he was glad to hear this and he hoped that it deterred further incidents of bullying.

As Reid turned to exit the office, the principal added, "There's something I wanted to ask of you considering the events of yesterday, both here in the school and at Evan's home." Reid stopped and the man continued. "I was wondering if you would be willing to speak to the student body regarding this issue. I have a feeling it is an issue that you have had some experience with and I think you would have a good rapport with the students. Also Evan is probably alive today because he knew how to defend himself. I was wondering if there was any way you or a colleague could teach the kids both boys and girls some basics in self defense. You know, just in case something ever happened that they needed it."

Reid realized he had underestimated Jake Senoff's dedication to his students. He knew now that the principal had been waiting for the right situation so he could act. Three sets of parents lodging complaints was definitely not something he could ignore and neither could anyone in the education department, no matter how high up they were. With solid ground beneath him and people to back him up the principal now had a fire in his belly and before he left Reid assured him that they would work something out.

Reid saw Evan in the hallway with a crowd of wide eyed kids around him, eager to find out about the killer attacking him in his home. Right beside him on one side was Manny and on the other, smiling broadly, was Bethany. Julian Fitzgibbon was nowhere to be found. Reid smiled to himself and headed for his SUV.

On the way to Quantico he stopped at Lakeview Lane and met Andy Cummings, a security expert for the bureau. "Hi Andy, how's it going?" There was a whole crew of techs working on security for Janice and Evan's home.

"Good Reid, really good. Do you want me to go over everything for you?" Reid nodded. "We have put the highest quality security alarms on all the doors and windows. They are pentagon caliber. Not many private homes have something this good. We have installed wide angle peep holes and double deadbolt locks to both the front and back doors. There will be motion detectors and motion activated lights. We will put in security cameras if you want us to. There are push button panels in all the rooms for police, fire, ambulance, 911 and other numbers can be programmed in. We put your number in; I assumed you'd want it that way." Reid nodded again. "We've checked the house out and there's a room in the basement that could be made into a panic room if your stepmother wishes. Just let me know and we'll do it. Some of the bushes in the back yard could be used for cover by a prowler, so we'll have them removed and replaced with something visually pleasing but much safer. Your brother and stepmother don't have to worry; no one will get into this house without an invitation ever again."

"Thanks Andy, I really appreciate this."

"Hey, no problem, we all saw you and your brother on TV. Everybody at the bureau wants to help if they can. A couple of these guys are on days off and vacation but they heard we were doing this and showed up. Someone tried to attack one of our own. We don't take that lightly."

"Okay, then I'll leave you to it. I'll talk to you later."

"Sure thing Doc; you go catch the bad guys, we're fine here." He waved Reid away as did some of his crew when Reid returned to his vehicle.

Before he continued to Quantico, he called George Washington Medical Centre to check on his father's condition. Kim, his nurse for the day, informed Reid that his father continued to improve. The doctor was weaning him off the ventilator and he was sitting up in a chair. Reid thanked her and began his fight through rush hour traffic to Quantico.

JJ informed him on his arrival that the press was once again all over her for requests to interview him and Evan regarding the arrests of Amy Billingsly and Paul Overton. Reid said he didn't have time to deal with that now and sat at his desk to make a phone call.

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William's physician had decided to take him off the ventilator. It had been unhooked and he was now breathing on his own. Dr Shipman removed the endotracheal tube from William's throat causing him to go into a spasm of coughing. William attempted to talk but only rasping sounds came out. He looked concerned but Kim explained to him that his voice would come back after a couple of days. It was just the irritation from the tube on his vocal cords.

Kim told William she would call his son Spencer and inform him that his Dad was off the ventilator. William was trying to tell the nurse not to bother, that his son wouldn't care but the words would not come out. It was so frustrating.

He was watching the TV, seeing the scene with his sons played over and over again. All the staff remarked to him how brave they both were and how proud he must be to have such wonderful boys.

Some time later, Kim approached William, saying he had a visitor. William turned, expecting it to be Spencer since Evan would be in school. This visitor, however, was a man William had never seen before, a short man, about 5'6'' with dark auburn hair and wire rimmed glasses. He was impeccably dressed in a navy Brooks Brothers suit. William Reid looked confused.

"Hello, Dr. Reid," the man said extending his hand. "My name is Damien Walcott." He handed William his card. "I'm an attorney with the firm, Mitchell Porter, Weingold and Walcott. I understand that you're in need of an attorney."

Oh, what was this now, some ambulance chaser, had he been waiting until I was better, William wondered. How did he know I was better?

Walcott noticed the confusion on William Reid's face. "Your son Spencer called and asked if I would be willing to represent you. Since you are getting better, charges will undoubtedly be laid and you will need an attorney."

William looked very confused and puzzled. Spencer called this man to be his attorney, why would he do that? It didn't make sense.

Walcott, it appeared, was good at reading faces. Maybe that made him good at what he did. "You're wondering why your son would call me on your behalf. You think he would be the last person to do anything to help you. His exact words to me were, 'The law that I fight to uphold every day says even my father deserves an attorney.' And before you ask, I have made no agreements with your son to influence or sabotage your case in any way, nor did he ask me to."

The lawyer discussed the charges that would likely be laid against him and their options in relation to those charges. After Walcott left, the ramifications of his actions seemed to finally hit William. He had been in the coma at first and then just fighting to stay alive for a few days but now that that issue no longer seemed in doubt, he had time to think about what he had done and he was lost in those thoughts for a long while.

His thoughts were interrupted when Kim told him Spencer was there to see him. Reid approached his father, prepared but not really ready for what he saw. The tube had been removed and his father looked like he had before, though his color had not returned to normal. His IV was still infusing and the nurse had told him that now that the tube was out William could start eating and the IV could probably come out soon. There were no longer electrodes monitoring his heart function and he was no longer in bed but sitting up in a recliner chair.

Spencer sat in one of the chairs by the bed and Kim left them so they could have some privacy. "Did Damien Walcott come to see you," Spencer asked.

William made some raspy sounds, then simply nodded. He got a piece of paper from his table and wrote something on it. Reid picked it up and read, _why would you find me a lawyer, I don't understand. I tried to kill you._

"Dad, I wouldn't go showing that to anyone if I were you. Here give me that." He took the paper and shoved it in his pocket. "I'll shred it later." Reid paused for a moment, then continued, "Although there's not a lot of love lost between us, Evan has not truly felt the effects of being abandoned by you like I have. Sure, he's angry about some of the things you've done but when he was sitting here at your bedside the other night, I saw that no matter what you've done or the kind of man you may be, to him you're still Dad and he doesn't want bad things to happen to you. So you need a lawyer, someone to help you through. I got you one, for Evan."

William Reid nodded, keeping his head down. After a time, Spencer spoke again. "Maybe it's not totally for Evan. Maybe I think I owe you because if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have Evan in my life and he's one of the best parts of my life and he's definitely the best part of you, and for that reason, as much as I want to, I can't hate you." With that Reid got up to go, once again leaving William alone with his thoughts.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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The team was entering the world of child beauty pageants. There had been three separate pageants in recent months where mothers of pageant contestants had been murdered and displayed in adult copies of costumes their daughters had worn. The mothers were not murdered at the pageants but afterwards in their hometowns. Now another murder had taken place in Harrisburg after a pageant in Chicago. Judy Delecroix was found in her backyard posed on a swing, wearing an exact copy of one of her daughter Ashley's outfits from the Chicago pageant. The team did not know where the killer would strike next but armed with their profile, they were in Atlantic City for the latest child beauty pageant.

"The killer is targeting the mothers, not the children, so the killer blames her own mother in some way and is taking it out on these mothers, why these particular mothers," Morgan asked.

"Obviously," Emily responded, "The killer must have had a bad experience involving beauty pageants and blames her mother."

"The victimology showed that these mothers were particularly aggressive, stage mothers if you will," added Reid.

Gideon inquired, "Reid what do you know about beauty pageants."

"Beauty pageants originated, here in Atlantic City actually, in 1921. Child pageants began in the 1960's. Beauty pageants are one of the fastest growing businesses in America grossing over 5 billion dollars. There is no law that prescribes how a pageant must be managed; the rules are set by the contest promoter. They are exempt from child labor laws as contestants are not considered working children although the hours spent in training, costume fitting, hair and makeup are grueling. It can be very expensive and contestants come from all socioeconomic classes. Research shows that the lower income mothers want their children to learn the skills necessary to move up the social scale, while the higher income mothers feel competition is necessary for their children to become successful. Do you want me to go on?"

"No, that's fine for now," Hotch replied.

"Okay, we're looking at an unsub who was in pageants as a child, maybe didn't want to be but was pushed by mama. Some stressor occurred and now she's taking out the contestants' mothers, the especially aggressive ones anyway," Morgan opined.

"Maybe Garcia can get us lists of previous contestants over the last, say twenty years, and we can look into them. It seems that the person has to be here to see which mothers are overly aggressive and to see the costumes the daughters wear," Emily suggested.

Morgan pulled out his cell and punched speed dial, "Hey Baby girl…."

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Damien Walcott was meeting with William in the waiting room which had been closed to allow him privacy to discuss his case.

"My son Spencer wants me to plead guilty and prevent my son Evan from having to testify against me." William's voice was returning but at present it was a hoarse croak.

"That's all very well for Spencer and Evan but it may not be in your best interest," Walcott responded.

"Let's face it. I did shoot at my son; there were five other agents and my son Evan who witnessed it. How are you going to defend me against that?" William shifted uncomfortably in the wheelchair he was seated in. His leg was killing him. When lying in bed and in the recliner, the pain wasn't so bad but in this chair, he could feel it intensely.

"I'm an excellent attorney, that's why your son called me. The more witnesses I have, the better I like it. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable and the more witnesses you have, the more likely you can trip someone up and they'll contradict each other leaving the jury ultimately confused. Also there's another avenue to consider."

"What's that," William rasped?

"Diminished capacity," Walcott added with a smile. "You have suffered quite a few losses recently, your marriage, your relationship with your son Evan, your job at the university, some friendships and your home. You also had to pay your ex-wife a huge settlement and a fine for your misdemeanor conviction and you're now forced to pick up garbage on the streets on the weekend. I know that you were depressed. Who wouldn't be? I know your doctor had you on an antidepressant, two of them in fact. Now both of the antidepressants you were taking have been known to cause aggression in some people. It's widely documented. You were not on only one of these medications, but two, doubling your chances of aggressive behavior beyond your control."

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Garcia had hacked into the records of child pageants going back twenty-five years, looking for someone who was a contestant back then and was still involved today. There were a number of names. Some worked for companies that sponsored pageants but they were mostly involved with pageants related to their companies, not all pageants. There were four that attended practically all the pageants; now the team had to see if any fit the profile. One was an events organizer who helped numerous companies organize pageants. A couple were mothers of contestants and also attended most of the pageants and the fourth was a photographer who made her living out of attending pageants and photographing the girls and selling them the pictures for their portfolio. The team headed for the boardwalk.

The Trump Plaza was breathtaking. Morgan elbowed Reid shortly after they entered. "Hey Reid, man, maybe we should check out the pageant and you should check out the casino. You could go in with your Professor Peabody look and relieve 'The Donald' of a good chunk of change before they even catch on that you're a shark."

"Morgan, are you suggesting that instead of working on the case, I should go gambling," Reid asked incredulously?

"Hell no Doc, I'm not suggesting it, I'm saying it outright. You could get enough to buy us all a really really nice dinner. This must feel like home to you, huh?"

"Yeah, Morgan it feels like home; as a child I spent all my time gambling in a casino right next to the ocean." Reid shook his head.

Morgan walked on to the convention hall saying, "Wow, somebody's touchy!"

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Damien Walcott was going over William's case in his office. He had to get his client to agree to a trial. His paralegal Joan Mason was helping him with his strategy. "Joan get me as many expert witnesses as you can on the aggressive side effects of antidepressants. I want the jury to feel this man was so out of control, he was not in charge of the situation." He pressed the VCR remote control and the news footage from the other night replayed showing the arrest of Amy Billingsly, then Paul Overton, followed by the footage of Spencer and Evan Reid. Walcott pressed the pause on the remote. He looked intently at the screen. "Those two are the key," he said pacing back and forth in front of the television. "There's no one in the free world that hasn't seen this footage and every juror will remember it. They won't want to send dear old dad, who couldn't help himself, to the federal penn." He looked again at the brothers embracing on the screen. "I have to convince them that these three need to be a family. Look at the sweet face of the young one. The jury will just eat him up." Yes, these two were the key. They were like it said on that credit card commercial. Priceless!


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: Still don't own Criminal Minds

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Lori Hanson organized events but did more pageants than anything else. "We understand you used to compete in them when you were a child," Hotch probed.

Hanson smiled, "Guilty, I'm afraid. It was mostly because my mother wanted it. It had always been something she wanted to do but never could because she had a sick mother she had to help care for until her mom died. After I was born, she swore she was going to get me exposed. I was entered in all the pageants and mom was always sending my pictures around to ad agencies but nothing ever developed. So mostly we did this." She waved her hand around the convention hall that was full of mothers and young girls, all with their hair done and makeup on, even the very young. "Most of the time I didn't mind but there were times I wanted to be out playing with kids my own age instead of having costume fittings, choosing music or perfecting my walk. It was hard work for a little girl."

"So if you didn't like doing pageants, why do you organize them?" Emily asked, trying to get a measure of the woman.

"The PR firm I worked for was approached about organizing one and since I had previous experience, I was the natural choice. Once I started doing it, I found I really enjoyed it from this end and I do it almost exclusively now."

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William was resting on his bed after his meeting with his lawyer. There was a lot to think about. Spencer wanted him to plead guilty but if there was a chance to get out of this, he should take it, shouldn't he? Spencer would understand about the antidepressants. He probably knew all that information anyway. Maybe if Spencer knew he was on antidepressants it would make a difference. Walcott wouldn't be able to pull the wool over Spencer's eyes. He was too smart for that. William always knew his son was brilliant but he remembered when it really hit home and made him start thinking of his son as freaky.

Spencer had been nine and Diana was starting to fail more each day. It was becoming more noticeable that she was losing ground. Both he and Spencer were trying to deny the obvious. He had come home late one evening. He had been purposely staying later at the university to avoid his home life. This night Spencer was sitting at the kitchen table eating ice cream with what looked like schoolwork in front of him. Perfectly normal, William thought. Then he noticed the papers were essays on Chaucer written by Diana's students. He watched as the boy's finger flew quickly over each page, the pages turning so fast it was a flurry of white, stopping only to circle things in red and make notations in the margins. Then he'd put a mark at the front of each paper. He had stared in disbelief at his son, realizing he was grading his mother's papers. Needing a drink, he left his own stack of papers on the inquisition atop the table and went in search of the scotch bottle. He returned to find Spencer grading them as well. He remembered checking his son's evaluation of his students' work afterward. It was phenomenal. His son was a much stricter marker than he himself was and he knew his students would not like to have Spencer for a teacher. He would be a tough taskmaster. He'd circled a passage in one student's work as plagiarism, citing the book, author and page number, all from memory. Although professors often used markers to grade their papers, he wondered how his students would react to knowing they'd been graded by a nine year old. He had always known that his son was amazingly gifted and early on he had been very proud of that fact but after the grading incident and all the problems that Spencer's genius effectuated, he'd started to see his son not so much as brilliant but more as weird.

Was it jealousy, he wondered. Had he felt jealous that Spencer had picked up things in those papers that he would have missed? He was the professor for God's sake. He had a doctorate in the subject. How could this nine year old know more about his subject of expertise than he did. Spencer often knew things he didn't and was always spouting off some kind of fact. He had gotten used to that. This was different though; it was the first time he had ever felt belittled by Spencer. He knew it had not been his son's intention, Spencer didn't have a mean bone in his body, but that didn't change how he'd felt.

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Tara Perkins had started in child pageants twenty years ago when she was six. Her mother who had been a cheerleader and runner up to the homecoming queen assured Tara is would be fun and her mother was right. It was fun, for her mother. Tara, on the other hand would rather have been anywhere other than in beauty pageants but her mother insisted it would help her in her later life. "Well I guess she was right about that," Tara told Reid and JJ. "My career as a photographer really picked up when I decided to start taking pictures at the pageants. They always need pictures and if you're Johnny on the spot, you're going to get the work."

"Your mother must be very happy that you chose this avenue for your work since she enjoyed the pageants so much," Reid asked.

"My mother actually wished I'd done something like modeling or acting that could have made me famous. But that wasn't for me so she just had to live with being disappointed. At least my sister fulfilled her aspirations and became a housewife and mother."

"Why didn't your mother want this for your sister," JJ wondered.

"My sister wasn't pretty and I was, simple as that."

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Hotch and Emily met up with Reid and JJ. Gideon and Morgan were still talking to the two mothers. The team decided to watch part of the pageant that afternoon to see the four women in action. In the meantime, lunch seemed like a good idea. Emily called Morgan to tell them where the team would be when they finished their interviews.

The group left the convention hall which was bustling with activity; young girls and their mothers were everywhere. Sound crews were checking their equipment while cameramen were setting up. The endless hum seemed to die as soon as they closed the doors and headed for the restaurant. Their meals had been ordered by the time Gideon and Morgan joined them. The waitress took the latecomers' orders and left.

"So how did it go with the mothers," Hotch asked?

"Well, they seemed to be…"

A flashbulb went off just beyond their table. The team looked up to see a photographer taking pictures. There was a woman with him holding a recording device who said, "Aren't you Agent Reid, who took down Senator Billingsly and her accomplice for murdering that caterer."

Reid, totally taken by surprise, looked very uncomfortable. "Yes and I have no comment," Reid responded trying to look anywhere but at the man holding the camera.

"What was it like when you found out Billingsly and her henchman were going after your little brother," the reporter continued?

"No comment," Reid replied again.

"Are you here on a case? You are aren't you? Is something going on at the pageant?"

"No comment," Reid reiterated more forcefully, glancing at JJ, his eyes pleading, 'help me out here.'

JJ stood up, facing the woman and the cameraman. "I'm Special Agent Jareau and I handle all dealings with the press regarding any investigations and arrests of this team."

"That's all very well and good," the woman replied. "But we don't want to speak with you, we want to speak with him," she gestured toward Reid.

"Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Reid has told you repeatedly he has no comment. That is all you are going to get so please go back to covering the pageant. There is nothing newsworthy going on here."

"Are you kidding me, Honey? Taking down Senator Billingsly is big news and the guy who did it is big news whether he wants to be or not. The first reporter who gets a story from him and his brother is going to become big news. I'd like that person to be me."

"You will not be getting any comment from me and you will not be getting anywhere near my brother. You saw what happened to the last person who tried. That's all I have to say."

The reporter looked intrigued. "Are you threatening me Dr. Reid?"

Reid looked the woman in the eye and said, "Oh no, I never threaten."


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Garcia had been very busy. The team was talking to her on the computer at the Atlantic City PD. Although they had not called the team in, they had offered the FBI a conference room to work out of since there was no field office in the city. They gathered around the computer as the perky tech filled them in on her findings.

"I've been tracking the movements of your girls. They all were in the cities of the pageants the dead women last attended. Only one, however, moved to where two of your victims were killed. She traveled to the first two cities within a day of the murders but she never traveled to Brownsville or Harrisburg. She did, however, fly into Philadelphia two days before the Harrisburg murder. She also rented a car while she was there so she could easily have driven to Harrisburg." Garcia paused for breath.

"That's great work baby girl," Morgan said, "So, who's our winner?"

"Not so fast, I'm not done yet," the tech smiled coyly from the screen. "Okay, now most of the pageant's costumes are purchased from two places, Warwick Designs and Fantastic Fashions. Both of the mothers got costumes for their daughters from these places but no adult costumes, however, adult costumes were ordered from and paid for by money order. They were shipped to a PO Box in Buffalo. One of your girls lives in and works out of Buffalo."

"Which one, Garcia," JJ said, getting anxious.

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William Reid was in a wheelchair in the waiting room for the second time that day, talking to Damien Walcott. "Okay, I've managed to get three expert witnesses willing to testify that antidepressants can cause aggressive episodes and combining two, as in your case, is begging for trouble. I also have four cases decided in favor of the defendant involving violent episodes to use as precedent for my defense."

"Do you really think that this could work?" William was incredulous.

"I think we've got a really good shot and there's another weapon in our arsenal."

"What's that?"

"Your sons," Walcott said triumphantly.

"My sons, what do you mean by that? My sons would be testifying against me," William countered. "And Spencer wants me to plead guilty to avoid putting Evan through that. He's just gone through a battle with leukemia; he almost died. It was only a bone marrow transplant from Spencer that saved him. That's how they became involved in each other's lives; they'd never met before that."

Walcott's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and his face broke into a broad grin. "You're kidding me, right?" William shook his head. Walcott continued, "This just gets better and better!"

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"Lori Hanson lives in Buffalo and works for a PR firm headquartered there," Garcia informed the team. "She was on flights to two of the cities where murders took place and like I said, she did fly to Philadelphia and could easily have driven to Harrisburg. There's no record of her going to Brownsville unless she got there some way other than flying."

"Lori Hanson, I wouldn't have thought it was her," Emily said, "She certainly didn't seem like the type."

The team went in search of Lori Hanson, finding her in the convention hall finalizing details for the next day's competition. She was placed under arrest and taken down to the Atlantic City PD for questioning. The suspect denied ever being in those places and she said she could prove it. She had an airplane receipt and hotel receipt from Denver for the date of one of the murders.

"Check it out and confirm I was there," she pleaded. Morgan called Garcia.

They received a call a few minutes later from Garcia saying Hanson had indeed been in Denver on the date in question so she could not have been in Harrisburg killing Judy Delecroix. Garcia had video from the event and her facial recognition software proved it was Lori Hanson.

"I was so sure we had our girl," Garcia remarked to Morgan. "Could someone have stolen her identity and been going to these murder sites as Lori Hanson."

"Yeah mama, it looks like we're back to square one," Morgan responded.

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"What do you mean by that," William asked suspiciously?

"You've seen your sons on TV regarding this Amy Billingsly thing, right?"

William nodded, "Of course."

"Well, so has everybody in the free world. It's been on all the network news shows and CNN has it on all the time. Apparently the press has been trying to get interviews with your boys but Spencer will only say no comment and will not allow the press anywhere near Evan. I think your ex-wife is letting Spencer run the show."

"That's probably true. Janice thinks Spencer is the second coming. She'd go along with just about anything he suggested," William croaked, his throat still sore from when the endotracheal tube had been in place. "He's probably right though. He knows what he's doing, believe me. My son is a genius with three doctorates, he can read twenty thousand words a minute and he has an eidetic memory. That's not always easy to live with, believe me, I know. Don't try and get by Spencer using big words and legal jargon or try to flim flam him. It won't work. He'll have read all the books you have and more. He wouldn't need a paralegal to look up case law; he'll know it and quote it back to you verbatim."

"Getting back to the boys," Walcott said, "Evan had leukemia, really! And Spencer actually saved him?" William nodded again. "This is better than great," Walcott continued. "I can see it now. We get the right jury and your youngest, who really doesn't want to testify against Dad, takes the stand. He just looks so sweet. If I bring up all the things he's been through and the mitigating factor of the antidepressants, the jury is just not going to want to send you away. They'll want you and your boys to be a family."

"Isn't that a lot to put Evan through, I mean, if I plead guilty, what's the worst that can happen?"

"The worst," Walcott responded, "Would be life."

"Life," William erupted, dumbfounded. "For attempted murder and he wasn't even hurt badly."

"Ah, but don't forget, he's not Joe Shmo, he's a federal agent. The justice system does not appreciate criminals trying to kill our law enforcement officers, especially Feds. Now I don't think for one minute, you'll get life but the sentence could be hefty. It would not be less than ten years."

"Ten years, are you sure?" William was trying to imagine being locked away for ten years. Why hadn't they left him dead in surgery? Why bring him back for this?

"Minimum," Walcott repeated. "And it won't be in a minimum or probably even medium security prison. It's likely to be in maximum security because you are a violent offender, somewhere like Leavenworth or Lompoc. Also wardens and guards do not look kindly on those who try to take out federal agents."

William just stared at Damien Walcott as the gravity of the situation hit him. He would be old when he got out, if he made it out at all! Had Spencer realized this when he told him to plead guilty? Of course he had, William thought, of course he had.


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: Still own nothing

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"Miss Hanson," Hotch asked, "Do you have any enemies who might be trying to harm you by going around the country committing murder pretending to be you?"

"No, Agent Hotchner, I can't think of anyone who would try to hurt me in that way. I've never done anything to anyone to make them want to punish me like this," Lori answered, incredulous.

"It's someone who knows the pageant scene because these were mothers of pageant contestants that were killed and dressed in the same outfits as their daughters." Reid told the event planner, trying to jog her memory.

"Honestly, Agent Reid," Lori was adamant, "I can't think of anyone, I'm sorry, I'd help you if I could. It's awful that this is happening to these women."

"I suggest you change all your ID and cancel your credit cards, for your own protection," Emily suggested to the young woman.

"I will, thank you, Agent Prentiss." Lori Hanson got up and left the room, leaving the BAU agents scratching their heads.

"Why would someone want to commit these murders and place the blame on Lori Hanson when it would be easy for her to prove her innocence," Morgan asked? "It doesn't make sense."

"Well," Gideon suggested, "Let's take a break from it for a while and go have some dinner." The team agreed and once again they headed for Trump Plaza.

Just outside the restaurant Reid said, "Go on in guys, I'll be there in a minute, I just want to call and check on Evan." He pulled out his cell and started punching numbers. Reid reached Evan who assured his brother he was okay now that Spencer had them locked up like Fort Knox. He told Reid he hadn't been bothered by the press and yes, of course he would let him know if he was. Reid saw Prentiss walk out of the restaurant and head off down the hall while he was talking to Evan. Where was she going he wondered? Reid ended the call and quickly joined the others in the restaurant.

"Did you talk to your brother," JJ asked?

"Yeah, he's doing okay. He thinks I've got them locked in too tightly but I think Janice is relieved to have the improved security. At least I know they're safe when I can't be there. Where did Prentiss go?"

"She went to find the ATM," Hotch replied.

"Oh, that reminds me, I need to do that too." Reid got up, dashing off in the direction Prentiss had gone. He found the ATM further down the hall but there was no sign of Prentiss. Reid used the ATM to transfer some funds into an account at Bennington for the staff to obtain personal things his mother might need. He then started to make his way back to the restaurant.

Emily was returning from the ATM machine when she caught a glimpse of Lori Hanson in the convention hall. She thought of something she wanted to ask her so she entered the room and approached Lori who was looking for something in her purse. "Miss Hanson," Lori jumped, startled by Emily and dropped her purse, its contents spilling all over the convention hall floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Emily apologized, "I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that." She crouched down and started to help Lori pick up her things. She picked up a driver's license that had a picture of Lori but the name on the license was Tara Perkins. "Why do you have a license with Tara Perkins' name?" Emily asked, her voice rising sharply.

Reid, on his way back from the ATM, was surprised he hadn't passed Emily. Maybe she stopped in the ladies' room. He heard a raised voice from the convention hall, it sounded like Prentiss. He approached the entrance to check it out. When he reached the open door he saw Emily, in what appeared to be an argument, with Lori Hanson. He couldn't hear what was being said; Emily was holding something in her hand but Reid was unable to see what it was from his position by the door. They were both unaware that he was in the doorway. Neither was Tara Perkins, who Reid saw coming from the backstage area with a gun in her hand. As she drew close to Emily and Lori she raised the gun aiming it at Emily. Reid reached for his glock and entered the room aiming his weapon at Tara but unable to get a good sight on her with Emily and Lori blocking the way. "Tara, drop the weapon." Emily and Lori turned, aware of Tara and Reid for the first time.

Perkins kept her gun trained on Prentiss and shook her head. "You put yours down or I shoot her. I don't want to, I just want to get us out of here but I'll shoot her if I have to"

"No Tara, like you said, you don't want to do that," Reid replied, advancing further into the room.

"I had to stop them, don't you see." Tara's voice was full of anguish. "Mommy never listened when I told her what that filthy bastard did to me. And she was doing it all over again to my little niece. I couldn't let that happen, I had to stop her. I had to stop them all."

So that was it, Tara had been abused as a child by someone involved in the pageants and her accusations fell on deaf ears. Reid felt some empathy for the young woman but right now he had to try to stop her from hurting anyone. Reasoning with her would not be easy in her present state of mind.

Reid was still unable to get a bead on Tara with the other women in front of him. "Tara, don't do this, we can help you." Reid tried to reach the obviously unbalanced woman.

"No, it's too late now. You can't help me, nobody can." Tara raised her weapon, "I have nothing to lose now, do I?"

As Tara's finger started to pull the trigger; Reid dove forward, pushing Emily out of the way and firing his weapon at Tara just as she fired hers. The two agents landed on the floor, Reid falling on top of Emily. Lori screamed.

Emily glanced over and saw Tara lying on the floor, blood pooling around her as Lori ran over to her. "Reid, you okay…. Reid!" Reid was lying on top of her. She tried to push him off and felt something wet on her hand. She looked at her hand and saw it was red with Reid's blood. "Oh God, no!" The blood was coming from his left side and turning his green cord jacket a sickly red hue.

The gunfire and Lori's scream had alerted others and people started swarming to the convention hall. Emily had managed to slide out from under Reid and yelled to a man entering the room, "Call 911, tell them we have two gunshot victims, one is a federal agent. Hurry!" The man reached in his pocket for his cell.

The commotion reached the restaurant and the rest of the BAU team soon arrived in the convention hall. Hotch ran over to Prentiss who was on the floor cradling Reid's head in her lap, talking to him, trying to keep him awake. "Prentiss, what happened," he said as Morgan and Gideon checked on Tara Perkins. Morgan felt for a carotid pulse, then looked up and shook his head. Lori Hanson was handcuffed and placed under arrest for the second time that day, while the team concentrated their attention on their fallen teammate.

Prentiss continued to talk to Reid, totally ignoring Hotch's demand for an explanation. "Come on Reid, stay with me here, talk to me Reid."

Reid looked up at Emily. He was shaking, his eyes unfocused and she was afraid he was going into shock. "Reid, look at me Reid, come on, talk to me."

"I..I..I'm sorry," he said shakily.

"What do you mean, you're sorry," Emily looked at him, stroking his hair, confusion visible on her face.

"S…sorry for how I was to you after, you know, G..Georgia. I did…didn't mean to treat you l...like that."

"Oh Reid, that wasn't you, the real you. You were suffering. I forgave you for that a long time ago. Where are those damn paramedics," she yelled in frustration.

As if on cue, two paramedics came through the convention hall doors with a stretcher. They started to attend to Reid's wound; one applied pressure while the other started an IV and took his vital signs, covering him to prevent shock. While they attended to Reid, Hotch again asked Prentiss what had happened.

"I was coming back from the ATM when I saw Lori Hanson in here and I wanted to ask her a question, now I can't even think what it was. I guess I startled her and she spilled her purse. I was helping to pick up her things when I found a driver's license with her picture and Tara Perkins' name on it. They were in it together sir. Tara would go to murders as Lori and Lori would go as Tara and then if there were questions like we had, they could just offer proof they were somewhere else when the murders took place."

"Why were they doing it," JJ asked.

"Lori finally admitted she and Tara had both been sexually abused by a judge at some of the pageants and that their mothers were so obsessed with them winning that they turned a blind eye to it."

"That's why they were killing the overly aggressive stage mothers, to save the girls from going through what they did," Morgan commented.

Emily nodded, "When I confronted Lori, Tara must have heard and lost it; she came out from backstage pointing a gun at me. I wasn't even aware of it until I heard Reid tell her to drop her weapon. Where did Reid come from?"

The paramedics had stabilized Reid and were preparing to move him. "I'm coming with him," Emily said.

"Ma'am," one of the paramedics said, "It would probably be better if you didn't. You can meet us at Mercy General."

"I'm going with him," Emily was resolute, she sought Reid's hand and held it all the way out to the ambulance and once inside, she held it again all the way to the hospital.


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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They had been sitting in the waiting room at Mercy General for what seemed like an eternity. Emily was still somewhat astounded over what had occurred in the convention hall. "She would have killed me if Reid hadn't come when he did… Oh God, he's got to be okay. If he's not okay, I don't know what I'll do."

"Prentiss, he's strong, a lot stronger than he looks; he'll be fine," Gideon stated. "People have underestimated him all his life, much to their regret."

"Yeah, look what he went through in Georgia. A lot of people were counting him out but he bounced back," Morgan reminded her. "The good ones do that and Reid's the best."

A woman in baggy blue scrubs entered the waiting room. "I'm Dr. Warner, are you people here for Spencer Reid?"

"Yes," Hotch said, "I'm Aaron Hotchner, Dr. Reid's boss and his emergency contact."

"Do you want to speak privately or can the whole group hear?"

"It's okay, you can tell us all. How's Reid doing?" Hotch asked in a businesslike tone but the physician could tell he was concerned.

"Your co-worker sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen. It was a through and through. The bullet entered the abdomen at the left upper quadrant, damaging his spleen and continued until it exited out his back. The spleen happens to be one organ the body can survive without; however, in Agent Reid's case we were able to repair the damage. We removed a little bit of the spleen but most of it remains intact. He'll be fine. He lost a fair amount of blood and he is receiving some transfusions to replace that. He'll be as good as new in a few weeks."

There was a collective sigh of relief from the team. "When will he be able to travel," Hotch inquired?

"Travel," the doctor looked nonplussed.

"We'd like to transfer him back to a hospital in DC. How long until he'll be able to go? We don't want to go back and leave him here."

"I see. Well, I want the blood transfusions through. I'd like to keep him overnight but we should be able to medivac him in the morning. I'll talk to a colleague I know at George Washington. I'll apprise her of his case. She'll take good care of him."

"Thank you, Dr. Warner, "Hotch replied.

"When can I …I mean we, when can we see him," Prentiss asked anxiously?

"He's in recovery now. They should be moving him to a room in about an hour. You can probably see him then but not for long. He'll be coming out of anesthesia; he won't want to talk. He needs to rest."

"We understand. Thank you again, Dr. Warner," Gideon responded.

She nodded. "A nurse will come and tell you when you can see him." She turned and left the room.

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After the team visited with Reid, assuring themselves that he really was alright, Hotch suggested they head back to Atlantic City PD and tie up any loose ends. "JJ, I want you to keep a lid on this with the press as much as possible. You saw how it was in the restaurant. After the Billingsly thing, if the press gets wind of this, they'll be all over Reid like white on rice. This is probably the biggest thing to happen in child beauty pageants ever and wouldn't you know he'd be right in the middle of it. Also arrange for a room for him at GWMC. Make sure they know he has to be protected from the press and I mean well protected."

"You got it Hotch," JJ said, nodding.

Morgan pulled out his cell, "I gotta call Garcia, she'll be pissed, I haven't called before now."

Gideon pulled out his cell as well, addressing Hotch, "Do you want me to call Janice and Allie or do you want to do it?"

"You go ahead; I've got to call the director and Haley!"

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"Good morning, Mr. Reid," Wanda said as William opened his eyes. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm okay," he answered, his voice starting to return to normal.

"Before we get started with the morning care, I have something to tell you," the nurse said solemnly, gently touching him on the shoulder. "Your son, Spencer, was shot last night in the line of duty."

William's eyes widened, "Is he alright? How… how badly is he hurt?"

"Apparently, he's going to be fine. He's in Atlantic City but he's coming here by medivac flight this morning. He's actually coming right here to the ICU."

"He must be badly hurt, then," William enquired?

"No, not really; he had surgery last evening but they're bringing him here because security is better and they don't want him bothered by the press. Now, let's get started on your bath before breakfast."

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Reid arrived at the ICU of George Washington Medical Centre a couple of hours later accompanied by a Mercy General nurse, two medivac attendants and Prentiss. He was greeted by the head nurse, Grace Halloway. She told him she would see that he wasn't bothered by the press or unwanted visitors and they would make him as comfortable as possible. She introduced him to his nurse, Maxine Waters, who was a friendly faced woman, Reid guessed to be in her forties. She smiled warmly as she promised to take good care of him and Reid felt comforted in her care.

"The doctor will be in to see you shortly, after we get you settled into bed and comfortable. How was the flight?' Maxine asked as they transferred Reid from the stretcher to the bed.

"It mustn't have been too bad. I slept through the whole thing." Reid laughed.

William sat in his cubicle watching all the action as they brought Spencer in. He didn't look too bad. It looked like he would be okay. There was an attractive blond woman in scrubs and a white lab coat approaching Spencer's bed. That must be his doctor, William thought. He watched them. They seemed to be talking for a long time, almost like they knew each other. She was even sitting in the chair by his bed. She must have some bedside manner. Why wasn't she his doctor, he lamented to himself. She was getting up to leave now. The doctor said something to Spencer's nurse and she looked surprised, almost shocked by what she heard. She nodded at the doctor. What was that about he wondered?

He watched as Maxine walked over to the waiting room and said something to someone inside and then held the door open. William looked on as Janice, Evan and a pretty brunette woman came out and headed for Spencer. Evan threw himself into Spencer's arms. That must have hurt, he thought, judging by the grimace on Spencer's face. Oh well, he quickly covered that up and smiled when he looked at Evan. There's Janice pecking him on the cheek. Now he's saying hello to the brunette. Oh ho ho, she's not settling for a peck on the cheek. That's some liplock you got going on there Spencer. Well well, Spencer's got himself a woman. Maybe the apple didn't fall so far from the tree after all. No, he thought, she'd be his only woman. Spencer would be as faithful as the family dog.

He could hear the nurses talking at the desk. Maxine was telling Wanda that Dr. Harris had just told her that Spencer had saved Dr. Harris' son's life. Wanda said she'd heard through the grapevine that young Nathan Harris had tried to kill himself and that somebody had saved him just in time. She'd heard he was under psychiatric care now. She'd had no idea that William Reid's son was the one that saved him. Maxine told her that Dr. Harris said to take very very good care of him. She said to call her if he needed absolutely anything, day or night.

So, Junior is a hero huh! Junior, he never called Spencer, Junior! Oh my God, William looked up, what was this now! Oh, he knew that woman. She was the one that told him off in the parking lot at Quantico. Well, she certainly knew how to make an entrance, didn't she? The dress was flashy enough without the balloons, the big teddy bear and a huge chocolate heart. Spencer would not appreciate this, he thought as she passed his cubicle on her way to his son. William watched as Spencer caught sight of Garcia. His eyes lit up and he smiled the broadest smile William had ever seen. He watched as the blond bombshell totally enveloped Spencer in a hug, calling him "sweetcheeks." He seemed to be enjoying it anyway. Now she's hugging Evan and he seems to be enjoying it too.

Poor Spencer, he can't even use his hands, the brunette's got a death grip on one and Evan's got a death grip on the other. Ha ha ha, look at them laughing. What's so funny? It looks like Janice is leaving. Too bad.

Oh, here come more of them. These are the ones from the FBI. Look at the cute blond kissing him on the cheek. The brunette doesn't seem to mind though. There's that Hotchner guy who helped Janice in the divorce, he's even smiling. That older guy's squeezing Spencer's shoulder and now Evan's hugging him. What's up with that? Now Evan and the black guy are high fiving and wrestling each other. What's with these people?

Now what, who is this, a woman with a little kid in a stroller. Everybody seems to know her. Oh, looks like she's Mr. Happy's wife. Now the kid's on the bed, calling Spencer "Weed.' Spencer looks like he's about to wet his pants. You can hear them laughing all the way over here. They look like one big happy family.

Family, they weren't Spencer's family! Evan was but the rest weren't. They were Reids; they were his sons. He was their father. He was their father!

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Most of them had left now. He struggled into his wheelchair. The brunette had gone but he'd heard her say she'd be back soon. Spencer didn't seem to mind. He had fallen asleep and Evan slept in the recliner beside him. They both looked just like they did when they were little boys. He wheeled to the end of Spencer's bed.

He'd hardly ever read Spencer bedtime stories back then. He could read himself when he was just a toddler. Dianna used to read to him though. Even when he was older, he almost seemed enchanted when she read to him. It was their own little world that he was never a part of.

They'd had their moments too though. He used to take Spencer to the university with him sometimes, when Dianna was still well. All the professors and clerical staff would make a fuss over him. He called him "his little man" because he was so small yet knew so much. They'd always go for ice cream on the way home. Spencer loved ice cream. He wondered if he still did. Spencer always wanted three scoops which he knew was too much for the child but Spencer's eyes would grow huge when he saw the treat and he would look at the cone stacked so high, the wheels of his mind spinning, trying to decide the best way to tackle it. He inevitably got ice cream all over himself and Dianna would scold them both when they got home. Behind Dianna's back, he would wink at Spencer and the boy would laugh and laugh.

Ten years was a long time, he thought, as he watched his sons sleeping side by side. Evan would be a man by then. Maybe Spencer and the brunette would have a bunch of kids. Perhaps in ten years they could forgive him, perhaps not. He'd have to wait to find that out. He wheeled to his bedside table and picked up his phone. Spencer had been wrong. This wasn't the first time he was doing what was right for his child. Almost a year ago, he had come to Quantico looking for his older son to help save his younger son. As it turned out, it was the best thing he could have done for both of them. "Wanda, how do I get an outside line? I need to call my attorney."

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A/N: Just an epilogue to go, thanks so much to all who have taken the time to read and review.


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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**Epilogue**

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"What are you doing here; I thought you were in Philadelphia?" Gideon eyed Reid suspiciously over the glasses that were perched precariously on the end of his nose.

"I was, now I'm back."

"You look like you want to talk." Gideon indicated the chair in front of his desk. He put the file he was perusing on the desk and placed his glasses on top of it.

Reid entered the office, closing the door and sat in the offered chair with a heavy sigh. He said nothing for a few moments, Gideon waited, knowing the young man had come here to talk and would do so when he found the words. "This is the second time I've had to go through a parent's home after said parent has been locked away in an institution; first my mother in a mental one, now my father in a penal one." He looked at the floor as he spoke. "It hurt like hell both times."

"Were there things in your father's apartment that you remembered?"

"No, not a lot really, he'd gotten rid of most of the things from his old life, just like my mother got rid of most of his things after he left. That's what hurts so much. Dad tried to get rid of everything from his old life and Mom tried to get rid of every reminder of Dad. There are no photo albums. There are no mementos that people keep to remind them of places they've been. There's nothing to remind me of what made me, well…me. There wasn't a lot to pack up. Some things were still in boxes that he had never unpacked from when he moved in after the divorce. Then I got a call from Leavenworth that Dad was in the hospital."

"Not his heart again?"

"Oh no," Reid said with a derisive laugh, "Nothing that simple." Gideon waited for the young man to continue. "Remember those guys in St. Louis, the Mill Creek killer and Hollowman?"

"Of course," Gideon said suspiciously, not liking the direction in which this conversation was heading.

"Apparently Mill Creek found out that William Reid is my father and he blames me for his capture because I figured out the Holden and Sunny connection and wrote the classified that lured him into the trap. I even testified at his trial. Well, he let word get out in general population who my father was and you can guess what happened."

Gideon nodded, "And the guards weren't too quick to step in because your Dad's in for attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and guards look down on that."

"They let it go on a lot longer than it should but of course no one's admitting it. He's got a broken arm, broken ribs, and internal bleeding. The warden's thinking of putting him in solitary when he gets out of the hospital for his own protection."

Gideon could see the look in Reid's eyes; it was a look he knew. "Reid, none of this is your fault. Do not go there."

"I don't get it. Why didn't he just tell them he was incarcerated for trying to kill me? They might have gone easier on him or stopped completely."

"I think we both know the answer to that." Gideon counseled his protégé.

"Well if that's the case, he picked the worst time in recorded history to be proud of me." Reid paced Gideon's office remembering admonishing his father in the hospital that if he cared for his sons to prove it.

"Even if they moved him, there's probably not a prison in the country where there isn't someone I helped put away. They let me talk to him on the phone. He said he was glad I helped put those guys away. He also said he had something of his he wanted me to give to Evan tomorrow night."

"Will you be be able to put this behind you by then?"

"I have to be. Evan's fourteen tomorrow and he's so excited about the party and everybody being there. I'll be fine; I have to be, for him."

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The sun was streaming brightly underneath the drawn shades in Evan's bedroom, with the promise of a beautiful day. He sat on the edge of his bed, excited about what the day might bring. He was fourteen years old today.

It seemed like a milestone. He had been so sick with leukemia when he turned thirteen, that entering the teen years held none of the usual joy and expectation. On his thirteenth birthday he had never expected that he would turn fourteen. In the year between thirteen and fourteen he had gone through the most life altering experiences. He had endured an illness that had brought him to the brink of death and he had fought his way back to health with the help of a brother he never even knew he had.

Spencer, what would his life be like without Spencer? That was easy. He wouldn't have a life today without Spencer. Spencer had given him the bone marrow he'd needed to save his life, but it was so much more than that. Spencer had been there for him through every step of his recovery and starting his new life here in DC, not to mention saving him from a killer before he could become the next victim.

He got up, stretched and padded out to the kitchen where his mother was going over the preparations for his birthday party, making sure all the details were taken care of. "Morning Mom."

"Good morning, sweetheart," Janice gave her son a hug and kissed his cheek, "Happy Birthday." She hoped that being his birthday Evan would allow a little more affection. He'd been thinking he was too big lately for Mom's hugs. Evan remembered what Spencer had told him about what it was like not to have your mom around so he stopped and put his arms around his mother returning the hug.

"Thanks, Mom. So what are you doing," he made a move to look at the paper she was writing on.

"Oh no you don't," she lightly slapped his hand, "No peeking."

"Aw Mom, I'm fourteen, I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know that but you're not looking at this paper and I got news for you bud; even when you're forty, you'll still be my baby."

Evan turned to the cupboard, taking out a bowl and rummaging in another cupboard for the cereal.

"How about I make you some waffles?"

Evan's eyebrows shot up, "Really?"

"Sure, go sit at the table, I've got something to show you before we do."

That sounded ominous and Evan didn't know if he wanted to hear what was coming, "Okay."

His mother went to the counter and came back with an envelope. "This came yesterday. I didn't want to leave it to be opened with your other cards at the party. I thought it might be awkward."

She handed him the envelope. It was addressed to him. He recognized his father's handwriting. The postmark was Leavenworth, Kansas. "I think I'll open it in my room," he said, getting up from the table and heading back to the bedroom. Janice watched her son leave the room, hoping this would not dampen his spirits on his big day, then she turned towards the cupboard to find her waffle iron.

Evan sat on his bed and opened the envelope, a birthday card from his dad. There was no verse; there probably wasn't a big selection of cards at Leavenworth he supposed. Happy Fourteenth Birthday, his dad had printed and at the bottom William Reid had written, _Hope you have a great day, Dad._

Evan thought about his dad, locked away in Leavenworth for ten years for trying to kill Spencer. Spencer had gone to the arraignment and Evan had insisted, despite Spencer's protests, on going as well. They were sitting on the benches in the courtroom with a few other spectators when Dad had been brought in. He was walking slowly with a cane. Evan thought how Dad suddenly looked old. They read the charges to Dad and then asked how he pleaded. Evan saw Dad turn and look at him and Spencer, then turn back and say, "Guilty." Evan remembered he'd been looking at Spencer whose hands were clenched in fists and his knuckles were white. When Dad said guilty, Spencer nodded to himself and unclenched his hands.

Evan took his card out to the living room and put it on the fireplace mantel with others he'd received from friends and family in Philadelphia and other parts of the country. He stood back and looked at it and nodded to himself, turning to find his mother watching him from the dining room doorway. "So, I can smell those waffles, let's eat."

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Evan's fourteenth birthday party was in full swing. He and the guests who included the team, his fellow camping buddies along with Bethany, Shauna, Judy, Haley Hotchner and of course, Allie had enjoyed a feast of appetizers followed by many varieties of pizza and the boy was now opening his presents before the birthday cake was served.

He ripped the paper off a very large box from Garcia in which nestled a beautiful skateboard. "Garcia, how did you know I wanted one of these? Jared has one and we were at the skate park the other day and I tried it out. It was cool," the boy exclaimed excitedly.

Garcia hugged her young friend close. "I'm glad you like it sweetie."

Evan carried on uncovering his treasures, a Redskins jacket from JJ, a Swiss army knife from Allie and a beautiful watch from Hotch and Haley. Morgan's gift revealed a membership to the gym he attended. He said they could go together and possibly convince Reid to get his scrawny butt in there and lift some weights.

Spencer laughed good naturedly and maturely stuck his tongue out at both of them.

Gideon's gift was a very high quality pair of binoculars, "For us to go bird watching sometimes."

Emily gave him a box set of Star Trek episodes and his mother presented him with a signet ring. His friends gave him numerous CD's and gag gifts.

He opened Spencer's gift to find a finely carved chess set. His brother had been teaching him the game and he'd told Spencer he might join the chess club at school. He smiled at his brother, anticipating the hours they would spend together over this gift and the things they would learn about life and each other in those hours. Reid looked up to see Gideon watching him. His mentor nodded and smiled.

A short time later Reid asked to see Evan alone. They went to the teen's room and Reid pulled a small box out of his pocket. He handed it to Evan saying it had belonged to their great grandfather and Dad had wanted Evan to have it. The boy opened the box to find an exquisite pocket watch and chain.

"Wow, is this ever neat." Reid nodded, reveling in the joy on his brother's face. "Did you get this when you were in Philly?" Evan asked, running his fingers over the antique timepiece. Reid nodded again. "Look," The boy remarked excitedly, "It still works."

"Should we get back to the party," Reid asked?

"You go ahead; I'll be there in a minute. I want to put this in a safe place."

Reid returned to the others. Janice was going to bring the cake out soon. Allie and Haley were helping get plates and cutlery arranged for the cake cutting. Janice wondered where the birthday boy was. Reid headed for the bedroom in search of his brother. From the doorway he saw Evan standing with Bethany. He had been showing her his gift from his Dad. Reid watched as the two heads moved close and their lips met. He turned and headed back to the party meeting Morgan on the way. "Hey man, where's the little guy; what's he up to?"

Reid put his arm around his friend's shoulder, "Morgan you would be proud."

**The End**

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A/N: Thanks to all who have stuck with this story. Your support meant the world to me. It has encouraged and inspired me. Your comments often gave me a much needed laugh. I have come to look forward to hearing from you all daily. Thanks again, you're the best. Special thanks to mablereid who encouraged me to write in the first place, when it was the farthest thing from my mind. You are a great sounding board.

REIDFANATIC


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